Link to Aiden’s project blog: http://ilcamminodellachiocciola.tumblr.com/

Rebecca Solnit addresses a topic in this piece, “The Blue of Distance” that I had never even begun to think about before. She seems fascinated by “blue” not just for its aesthetic appeal, but for how it appears in our lives and what it’s significance truly is. As she explains that the “blue” of water, the horizon, and the sky do not in fact exist, the reader begins to understand the impossibility of capturing color that is not really there. This contradiction can be maddeningly confusing, but the confusion itself is what I personally appreciate about it. Her discussion of “blue” reminds me a great deal of the concept of synesthesia between music and art. Artist who are capable of this concept “see” music as living color as opposed to exclusively hearing it as an auditory performance. When making art using the concept of synesthesia the artist is transforming sound into color and images which feels quite similar to me to Solnit’s attempts to uncover the meaning behind a color that simple isn’t there.

I find the subject of borders to be quite interesting. In modern society we tend to hold onto nation state borders as defined by governments as well as racial borders defined by cultural and ethnic distinction. While borders can have some benefits, in uniting people within a shared space, they more often than not create divisions and have been a focal point for conflict for centuries. In today’s world we are even more preoccupied with borders than ever and many seek to force these prescribed borders onto others. I was reminded by this reading of how devastating an impact borders can have on people’s lives and I found it quite interesting to see how their significance can be conveyed through artistic means.

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   In reading this speech by Alfredo Jarr I felt I could appreciate a number of the points he made about art, the first of which being “I still find it difficult, very difficult.” I have experienced this in my own work many times. While there are times when I have bursts of creativity and pieces come together with ease, more often than not it is a struggle and a frustrating challenge to translate the idea I have in my head onto paper.

   Another point that  Mr. Jarr made that I found interesting was his quote from Chinua Achebe, “Art is man’s constant effort to create for himself a different order of reality from that which is given to him.” Being an artist who is fascinated by the fantastical and imaginative worlds I feel like this quote absolutely applies to myself and is one of the biggest reasons I am driven to create art. I also was struck by Mr. Jarr’s inspiration coming from world experience and in particular struggle. I believe it is very important than an artist’s work reflects their own life and artists that attempt to make concrete statements with their pieces always impress me. Overall I feel that while Jarr’s work is nowhere near the style that I work in, I definitely can appreciate what he does with his art and I strive to have that same level of determination to create meaningful pieces as I advance with my own art.