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For the mystic what is how. For the craftsman how is what. For the artist what and how are one.
–William McElcheran, Canadian Sculptor 1927-1999
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This morning I came across the quote above from the great Canadian sculptor William McElcheran that I featured here a few years back. Its wordplay and meaning both still ring a bell for me, even though I am not sure of McElcheran’s definitions of what and how. I have searched several times trying to find the origin of this quote to see the context in which it was first said but it seems to simply stand alone.
And I guess that’s okay because it says a lot and is complete in its meaning, at least in the way I perceive it.
I guess I fall in the artist category here. I am definitely searching for the what in my work regardless of the how that is required to get there. I will gladly alter my how to get to the what. My how is not based on tradition, is not absolute in any way and changes as needed. Yet, it is still crucial that it remains my how because if I feel that if I defer to another how exclusively it ceases to be my how and fails to express my individual voice.
It is when the how and the what merge that I feel most satisfied in my work.
Now, if you can follow that– and I am not really sure that I can myself– you must obviously fall into the mystic category.
I used the painting at the top, Spirit of Silence, which is part of my current Principle Gallery show, because it feels to me like it falls in that area where the how and what come together. It is a simply built painting where the how of it seems to roll perfectly into the what that it conveys. I immediately thought of this piece when I read the words at the top earlier.
Redtree Times 