The transformation of the world is brought about by the transformation of oneself, because the self is the product and a part of the total process of human existence. To transform oneself, self-knowledge is essential; without knowing what you are, there is no basis for right thought, and without knowing yourself there cannot be transformation. One must know oneself as one is, not as on wishes to be, which is merely an ideal and therefore fictitious, unreal; it is only that which is that can be transformed, not that which you wish to be. To know oneself as one is requires an extraordinary alertness of mind, because what is, is constantly undergoing transformation, change; and to follow it swiftly the mind must not be tethered to any particular dogma or belief, to any particular pattern of action. If you would follow anything, it is no good being tethered. To know yourself, there must be the awareness, the alertness of mind in which there is freedom from all beliefs, from all idealization, because beliefs and ideals only give you a color, perverting true perception. If you want to know what you are, you cannot imagine or have belief in something which you are not. If I am greedy, envious, violent, merely having an ideal of non-violence, of non-greed, is of little value. The understanding of what you are, whatever it be – ugly or beautiful, wicked or mischievous – the understanding of what you are, without distortion, is the beginning of virtue. Virtue is essential, for it gives freedom.
― Jiddu Krishnamurti, The Book of Life
It's a little longer than the typical quote I use to open a blog entry but I felt the words from philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) matched up well with this new painting as well as lining up with some things I have been thinking lately. Things about our personal transformations in life and our sometimes skewed self-perceptions.
I see the new painting above as being about the transformations between each ascending layer in the landscape. Ideally, the eye takes in the whole of the piece then moves up from layer to layer, rising from the fir treed layer at the bottom up to the Red Tree on a seaside peninsula pushing up toward a warm sky.
When I was done with this piece, I was struck by the layers in this piece. Actually, it was the difference between each layer that struck me. Each felt like it was in place and right, yet each was complete and self-contained yet detached and unique. Each felt like a different time and place to me with its own atmosphere and meaning.
It seemed like I could see myself being in each layer. And moving up to the next layer was a transformation to a different place and time with its own feel.
Maybe it was hopeful biography of my own personal transformation?
Actually, it seemed like a parfait to me, the tasty multi-layered dessert whose name comes from the French word meaning perfect. And there certainly was an idealized sense of a perfect place and time in this painting.
From that thought came the title for this painting, Monde Parfait.
Perfect World.
Of course, we have ample evidence that there is no perfect world. But perhaps this parfait can serve as something to aim for, something that might be achieved if we can recognize then set aside our egos, our envy and our inflated sense of self, along with a host of other negative traits, that have long taken hold in ourselves.
Maybe.
I have doubts but I do know that transformations can occur, that things can change. And so long as we can see and feel and experience beauty, so long as we can imagine a better and more perfect world, there's hope.
Hope is often a sustaining force.
Monde Parfait is a 36" by 18" painting on canvas that will be included in my annual solo exhibit at the Principle Gallery, opening Friday, June 3, 2022.
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