"Microscopic Warfare"
(This is the final post of this conversation with Ashley Smith. Use these links for part 1, part 2 and part 3.)
M: Do you think about a spiritual connection with your work?
A: The answer in my head when I first read this question is yes. I have often described my studio and classroom/teaching experiences as if the room itself was holy ground and the practice that happens within it as very spiritual or perhaps sacred. I believe this because I have observed the way emotions and reactions to new skills and ideas are felt by my students and I. I don’t often talk about this openly as those words in public education and even at times in private life are taboos. But, in order for me to really describe why the answer to this question is intuitively yes, I had to first ask myself another question:
What is spirituality? I thought I understood what that was but in trying to answer this question I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then I turned to the internet to do a little research and see what others have put out there on this topic. I found an article titled Spiritual, But Not religious on www.beliefnet.com. I have often used these exact words to describe myself. The article discusses the difference between the two terms and determines that spirituality exists when one deals with the issue of how their own human life fits into the greater scheme of things. The article states, “We also become spiritual when we become moved by values such as beauty, love, or creativity that seem to reveal a meaning or power beyond our visible world.” And that “An idea or practice is spiritual when it reveals our personal desire to establish a felt relationship with the deepest meaning or powers governing life.” I totally and completely agree with these statements. At times (and I am referring to my own studio as well as observations made of students) I have witnessed the transformation of materials that occur as a result of mind and body working together. This experience is like magic and reveals the true nature, beauty and power of the material and also us. The transformation occurs because energy from the whole body, mind and spirit were working together and ultimately the experience transforms the maker in some way. This is spiritual. Also, I once asked my students (a third grade group of students) what they thought I had taught them. The reply from one of them was that “I taught them they had the power to decide.”
I think spiritually also exist, through creativity, you discover that you are on your own autonomous path within this world and you now have felt power to make decisions and continue to create your own path. I also think the process and the practice of art making references a type of spiritual or even religious practice because both require a certain work ethic and discipline as well as a healthy amount of observation, questioning, research, experimentation and reflection so that the practice functions as an agent of discovery and healing with in ones life. So I guess the answer is that the artwork itself may not always be (but sometimes is) spiritual but the practice of art making for me is most definitely spiritual and currently art making is one part of my life that feeds my spiritual needs.
M: Why do you think art is important?
A: I think art is important for all of the reason I gave above and because it is the vehicle that one can use to teach and learn true autonomy, character, confidence, academics, spirituality, physical and health education.
M: Thank you, Ashley, for sharing your thoughts on these subjects. I know this conversation will continue as time goes on--these are big questions and the “answers” will change, as we do, over time. I appreciate your authentic effort in engaging in this thinking and hope that as other artists submit their responses to these questions we can build a rich collection of thoughts and experiences on contemporary art practice.
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