New Artwork up in the digital gallery:

Aquasalas

Been a while since I updated the digital gallery.

–Llux

All images are (c) Earl Isbell

Feel free to leave a comment, browse the galleries, or contact me if you wanna buy a print, commission me, or just drop me a line. Just navigate using the links at the top ^^.

First up, new artwork in the traditional gallery.

Barbados

If you want to truly understanding an entity, must you understand it in a vaccuum or in relationship to the things surrounding it. Put differently, if you want to truly understand something, must you understand it in or out of context?

Typically, the answer most people look down on is out of context. The answer considered more mature or more accurate is “in context.” But the truth is neither answer is correct. The only way to truly understand something is both as an entity unto itself and in relationship to everything around it.

Some people would answer out of context if they’re versed in the concept of Plato’s forms. The short version of his theory is that the absolute, pure form of any given entity exists outside of the universe and can only be understood by a philosopher through contemplation. All the instances of that entity we observe are only flawed knock-offs of the “form” of the item.

On the other hand, the argument goes that nothing exists in a vacuum, and its relationship with other things is what gives it its meaning. The fact that we have legs isn’t important, it’s the fact that those legs enable us to walk in a universe with a ground that is important.

It’s true that understanding our relationship with our environment is critical to understanding ourselves, but at the same time, we exist in ever-changing contexts, and we exist in motion. The world will be a different place tomorrow, and vastly different in twenty years, and so our relationship to the world around us at this moment will be less important. Understanding a person as an entity unto itself enables us to see possibilities, and initiate change. It is then we see the minerals as not just part of a mountain, but objects that can be used to make metals, become swords, vehicles, buildings. If we understand a person in a vacuum, we can better grasp they’re relationship to the realm of the future.

And as we exist in multiple worlds, influenced by multiple contexts in both the realm of the “real” and the realm of the possible, it becomes evident the common aspects of ourselves that become evident in spite of changing concepts point to our existence as being more than just a cog in a system.

Perhaps we have to experience multiple contexts to truly discover our own existence. Or perhaps it is only by walking amongst various worlds that you free yourself from being merely a part of any of them.

–Llux

All images are (c) Earl Isbell

Feel free to leave a comment, browse the galleries, or contact me if you wanna buy a print, commission me, or just drop me a line. Just navigate using the links at the top ^^.

New artwork up in the traditional gallery:

Samurai Angel

If you want to truly understanding an entity, must you understand it in a vacuum or in relationship to the things surrounding it. Put differently, if you want to truly understand something, must you understand it in or out of context?

Typically, the answer most people look down on is out of context. The answer considered more mature or more accurate is “in context.” But the truth is neither answer is correct. The only way to truly understand something is both as an entity unto itself and in relationship to everything around it.

Some people would answer out of context if they’re versed in the concept of Plato’s forms. The short version of his theory is that the absolute, pure form of any given entity exists outside of the universe and can only be understood by a philosopher through contemplation. All the instances of that entity we observe are only flawed knock-offs of the “form” of the item.

On the other hand, the argument goes that nothing exists in a vacuum, and its relationship with other things is what gives it its meaning. The fact that we have legs isn’t important, it’s the fact that those legs enable us to walk in a universe with a ground that is important.

It’s true that understanding our relationship with our environment is critical to understanding ourselves, but at the same time, we exist in ever-changing contexts, and we exist in motion. The world will be a different place tomorrow, and vastly different in twenty years, and so our relationship to the world around us at this moment will be less important. Understanding a person as an entity unto itself enables us to see possibilities, and initiate change. It is then we see the minerals as not just part of a mountain, but objects that can be used to make metals, become swords, vehicles, buildings. If we understand a person in a vacuum, we can better grasp they’re relationship to the realm of the future.

And as we exist in multiple worlds, influenced by multiple contexts in both the realm of the “real” and the realm of the possible, it becomes evident the common aspects of ourselves that become evident in spite of changing concepts point to our existence as being more than just a cog in a system.

Perhaps we have to experience multiple contexts to truly discover our own existence. Or perhaps it is only by walking amongst various worlds that you free yourself from being merely a part of any of them.

–Llux

All images are (c) Earl Isbell

Feel free to leave a comment, browse the galleries, or contact me if you wanna buy a print, commission me, or just drop me a line. Just navigate using the links at the top ^^.

This week, I’m finishing up the Rabbit Hole series. But since it’s gotten beyond the scope of blog posts, I’ve compiled it (with the example from my own life) into an article, which you can find in Articles above.

I’ve been talking for the past few weeks about The Rabbit Hole, a concept I define here. I argue that you shouldn’t be afraid to delve into things even when it feels like you’re getting nowhere but frustrated. This week I give a concrete example to clarify some things and tie it all together.

You can find it above under the new “Articles” section.

–Llux

All images are (c) Earl Isbell

Feel free to leave a comment, browse the galleries, or contact me if you wanna buy a print, commission me, or just drop me a line. Just navigate using the links at the top ^^.

New Artwork up in the traditional gallery: “Trying to Lose”

You can read the previous two posts about the Rabbit Hole and Wonderland here and here.

Today I’m going to talk about a concept that I hold dear called Flow.

Wikipedia defines Flow as:

“…The mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.”

Flow is part of why it’s worth getting to Wonderland. Flow is typically achieved when high skill meets high challenge, challenge matched to the skill of the person. By the time you get to Wonderland you’ve picked up all sorts of skills and knowledge. You take these with you and you go into a Zen-like state that is in my opinion one of the most exhilarating parts of life. Flow is also usually achieved when the person can have some sort of direct feedback as to success or failure. This enables us to grow rapidly. Pursuing flow drives us to self-improvement, to higher challenges to meet our increased skills so we can continue to flow. In this way, Wonderland is a world that drives us to become better, and it is exhilarating

Flow is also the core of my art process. Transfixation is what I value in both the creation and the experience of my artwork, and flow allows me to become transifixed in the creation of it. This is the only way for me to create artwork that is genuine. It is also the tool through which I may create artwork that may transfix the viewer.

This ended up taking a bit to explain, so join me next week for the concrete example I promised last week.

–Llux

All images are (c) Earl Isbell

Feel free to leave a comment, browse the galleries, or contact me if you wanna buy a print, commission me, or just drop me a line. Just navigate using the links at the top ^^.