2.26.2008

meanderings

last night tom and I went to yoga. firstly, i adore tom, and secondly there was something so nice about a roomful of people bending themselves into absurd positions on a monday night. actually, i am always so touched by community, in whatever form it comes. yesterday i went to the unveiling of a new painting in the BYU museum of art. it was a faith ringold painted quilt, she is a very well known black artist famous for her progressive images in the way of feminism, race, and equality. i was happy to see it on the wall at BYU, but perhaps even more so, i was happy to see a people gathering about an art piece. talking to one another and discussing, and of course, eating those delightful byu mint brownies. art is a communicator and creator of community, it has the potential to make people think. of course it does. infact, i don't think it much matters what we call it, or what a critic calls it, things are what they are and if painting hundreds of little birds and taping them on the front of my old elementary school with friends in the middle of the night has artistic merit, or if it is just that, kids taping birds on a school to change things up, make someone happy, and have a meaningful experience together, then that's what it is, and therefore reason enough to invest in such endeavors. i'm recalling now that i began this talking about yoga and tom, and now we are here at the end, and neither of them art, tom or the yoga. however, i suppose the point, if there is one, (and does there need to be?) is that community and engaging with that community in a very real and even physical way (moving about, talking, exercising, thinking) seems to keep us alive and full of reasons to be happy. "Act as though what you do makes a difference." william james.

1 comment:

shelly said...

Ashley, you're quickly becoming one of my "have to go-to" blogs of my day. Couldn't you just write all day? I'd really enjoy it if you did...