“The Pursuit“- Now at the West End Gallery
So sweet is the torment
That fills my heart
I can gladly live
With her cruel beauty.
In beauty’s heaven
Vanity increases
And pity gets lost;
But always my faith
Will be a rock against
The wave of pride.
—Si dolce è’l tormento by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
So sweet is the torment…
On the surface in the song from Monteverdi whose first verse’s translation is above, Si dolce è’l tormento (So Sweet Is the Torment), you might think that the torment the singer is expressing is from romantic pursuit alone. And it may be.
But I think it expresses the torment that drives any of us in pursuit of those things that we find meaningful. It could be anything, whatever it is that spurs you forward to search further and further. It might be love or knowledge or fame and fortune.
Anything that gives purpose to your pursuit.
Well, maybe anything but happiness. A lot of us say happiness is what we most desire and there’s nothing wrong with that on its face. Who doesn’t want happiness? But happiness is not an endpoint in itself. It is a byproduct of other things– love, acceptance, respect, and contentment for examples. I am sure you can add many other things to this list that create happiness in you.
But seeking happiness itself is a futile effort, one bound to torment you all your days. It would like existing in a frozen world and pursuing only heat when what you should be seeking is a means to build a fire to produce the desired heat.
I don’t know what the sailor in the painting at the top is pursuing. I expect it is the light that comes from new knowledge and wisdom but that’s just my own projection into the piece. You might see the subject of the pursuit here in your own light.
As it should be.
Here’s beautiful new performance of the aforementioned Monteverdi piece from one of my favorites, Rhiannon Giddens. Good luck in your pursuits this week.
There are colors that really trigger reactions within me. Most people would no doubt think that the color red would be the main one and perhaps they are right. The Red Tree is certainly the thing that would come to mind for those who know my work. And Red Roofs and Red Chairs.
First thing this morning, many thanks to everyone who came out to the West End Gallery on Friday night for the opening of my show there. I am most appreciative for anyone who takes the time on a hot Friday summer evening to come into the gallery. It was great seeing old and new friends as well as seeing how they reacted to the work, which was hung beautifully by Lin and Jesse. They did a great job pairing the paintings with original glass work — each seemed to reflect and enhance the other.
The race leader this year is past two-time Tour winner Chris Froome, a Kenyan-born Brit whose skinny frame hides a huge diesel motor within that seems to just chug and chug without end. Froome’s dominance is quite remarkable but just enduring such a race is incredible in itself. Three weeks with only two days of rest that covers about 2100 miles that wind around France and neighboring countries, up and over the highest peaks and mountain passes in the Alps and Pyrenees. 
Well, it’s time for Sunday morning music. I don’t keep up with music as closely as I once did. My mind is occupied in different ways these days and I tend to hold on to music and artists that I know, only stepping outside my comfort zone occasionally to seek something new– at least new for me. Sometimes I just stumble across it. Such is the case with Rhiannon Giddens.
Redtree Times 