Hye-jae - Book 1: New Beginnings

New Life Part 33

When Ciara had talked about the event, she had simply called it an artistic evening.  As Hye-won and Seon-jae took their seats together around the edges of a spacious room off the cafe that was filled with informal soft seating and pieces of artwork along the walls, she could tell there was obviously going to be music - a small group stood off to the side, tuning-up - while near a table with computers and projectors, some of the artists that Hye-won recognised from the studios were also chatting.  

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and a video installation began to project onto one large, white wall.  The trio of flute, cello and clarinet began to play live what, to Hye-won's ears, sounded like a jazz improvisation while a mix of images, line drawings and text spun across the screen - each piece of text beginning Art is...a plethora of mixed-media images from nature, cities, social media, human interaction - diverse life in many forms.  A dancer in wide-legged, green trousers and bare feet began to make movements to the music, small at first, then wider, more expansive.  Within moments, there was too much to see, hear and look at to take it all in and this was clearly the aim, to overload the senses, as a means of stimulating thought.  Hye-won let the excitement and stimulation trickle through her and a quick glance at Seon-jae's face showed that he was feeling the same.

The performance piece lasted about 10 minutes, after which the gathered audience clapped enthusiastically.  Ciara walked into the centre of the space, also clapping and encouraging the audience to show their appreciation.  When the applause died down, Ciara walked into the centre of the space and in a mixture of German and English, thanked the performers and opened up the Art is...conversation to the whole group.

Now Hye-won realised why the artists from the studios were present.  A discussion on the philosophy of art would of course be interesting and relevant to them.  In a fluidly, inter-changing mix of many languages but mainly German and English, some of the musician-friends of Ciara's contributed, as did the dancer, all long limbs and angular elegance.  Others described how their creative work was as important to them as breathing.  

As she listened to the artists describing their creative worlds, Hye-won felt a real sense of the joy and satisfaction which these artists found in pushing the boundaries of their creativity and self-expression. One - a botanical painter who displayed some drawings and sketchings of flowers, plants, seeds which were exquisitely detailed - talked of the physical pain that he felt when he spent too long in the urban built-environment and had to escape into nature. Another - an artist in wood - spoke of how he worked to combine a connection with nature with a real sense of the beauty in everyday objects.  A Dutch experimental performer spoke of his use of natural sound, such as taps dripping, traffic noise and even birdsong and weather noise, as musical invention.  Another artist described how she had worked in the fashion industry after university but realised that she valued individuality in creativity and worked now to create sustainable craft work, often including a community element as well.  All the craftwork in the cafe and the knitting group - that makes sense now.

Hye-won looked around the group and saw that members of the audience were nodding, shaking their heads, raising their hands to contribute but all thoughtful, as though this conversation was one of vital importance.  Ciara then smiled in the couple's direction and introduced them as musicians, asking in English if they would like to contribute.  Hye-won surprised herself when she voiced her thoughts: 'I love how everyone is so thoughtful about this question.  That seems to me to be the key.  Art for me should be the centre of a thoughtful consideration of the world we live in.  How each artist - all of you, Ciara - Seon-jae here,' here she smiled shyly at him and he pointed back at her indicating you too -  'how each one approaches this varies on perceptions, training, interests, experience, of course but each artist believes that the freedom to follow the creative process is at the core of - what should we call it? - maybe inner peace or fulfillment.  And while that will surely have a powerful personal effect, on a larger societal level, it surely must have even greater power and significance.'  But then why? Why did I always suppress this feeling when I knew from so early on that music was the core of me? And how do I now find it again inside myself?