Artistic Meditation

The search for what contemporary art is at this moment in time can be a challenging pursuit. There is, as has been stated before, quite a bit of pluralism involved not only in the variety of artists' techniques and approaches but also in how art worlds (in the plural) are given shape to. I wonder though is there a way, and is it perhaps already taking place, that the zeitgeist of the Western canon in art is starting to naturally connect with all of the other art worlds and what we think of as the world at large?

I say this because, as I have mentioned many times before, I see a rise in art being the craft of life. The social and relational quality in approaches and conceptions in art these days is a big part of that, but I wonder, can we take it further? We see the potential for the idea of a social movement being an artwork and activism simultaneously throughout the world. I wonder though, how can art be incorporated into the daily practice of individuals? By this, I do not mean just painting, sculpting, coding, and working with video or sound, but rather looking at the relational quality of all life practices and their potential to spark and bring about positive change in our lives through an artistic attitude taken towards life.

Meditation in these regards is, I believe, very important. Artistically meditating is an avenue that I believe will help to bring about more awareness and transformational knowledge of ourselves and the world around us including other people. I think that this kind of openness and true connectivity that artistic meditation provides and allows for is a practical application of what is sometimes described as Relational Aesthetics in the art world.

As such, the entire construct of the exhibition begins to get deemphasized, perhaps to zero where authentic experience, engagement, and participation takes precedence over the nature of overt exhibitionism. That does not mean however that there must be a loss of sharing, on the contrary. It is just a matter of rethinking how we communicate, particularly when thinking artistically. Social media is a big step in this direction and its prevalence is certainly connected to its egalitarian potentialities. It is a system the allows for and promotes engagement. Folks can like, comment and shared what they find. Of course, we can do this in varying ways in everyday physically-oriented life but is the physical world really keeping up with its virtual counterpart in this regard? 

Artistic meditation is a new concept as far as I know. Please educate me if the contrary is so. I am interested in these regards to explore how artistically approaching a meditational practice can open up new ways of thinking and acting, not only during the span of a seated meditation but also during the entire day, day after day. I think we need to take Relational Aesthetics further to finally bridge the horizons of art and life. The possibilities are boundless. Are you ready for the next step?