DIANNE MICHELE PRATT

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Artist's Statement

Overdevelopment of the natural resources in the external world parallels
overdevelopment of the natural resources in the interior life.
We seem to be always reaching for an elusive goal, rather than loving the world in front of our eyes,
just as we put anxious effort into becoming a new person,
instead of loving and living the life we've always had and always will have.
(Particularity of Place, Thomas Moore, p. 152)
My goal in my work is to treasure and value present experience, to find "love in front of my eyes" instead of seeking "elusive goals" for future fulfillment. Someone said, "Wherever you go, there you are." To the purpose of my art is to be here, now, and to notice and find value in whatever I experience: to seek to be less judgmental and more inquisitive, less predetermining of an outcome and more open to where a piece might prompt me to evolve. In this way, I am drawn to Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett's idea of "arts for living, by which [she means] giving value meaningful form." (Conversations Before the End of Time, p.417)  

I am also drawn to Satish Kumar's "traditional Indian point of view, that art is not an end product you either put on the wall, or sell in the galleries to make money. It's not a product; it's a living process." (Ibid., p. 137)  He notes: 
In large British schools, children are afraid. They are afraid of missing class, they are afraid of being told off, afraid of punishment, afraid of their teachers. They're afraid of failing exams, afraid of being cast as failures, and of not succeeding in a competitive atmosphere. They are undermined and underestimated. They're never given a chance to flourish and be themselves. (Ibid., p. 152)

In this class, though nervous with the unfamiliar, my fear is softened to permit exploration. So my art can be rudimentary. It is how I am learning a lot about what the medium does - trying new techniques (such as transference and the use of tar gel) and stretching the very edges of very heavy gel in my interest to create height and texture in my work. I like the tactile, and I'm learning what captivates my heart and attention.

In particular, I am drawn to the invisible pulls I feel toward Chora - what a landscape might be offering to teach me or tell me. I live "on the hill" because of Chora, I felt called to this place. So my work is also about those aspects of life that have a connection between my inner and outer worlds through this kind of link: memorable moments; the cat I felt moved to adopt; the homes I have found from the quiet sense of direction leading me into the unknown; the academic studies and employment I have pursued... following the ethereal guide when I have not known how to guide myself. Of late, it has been disconcerting not to feel a pull towards something other than my present, but I find comfort in Steven Nachmonovich's words, "It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work and that when we no longer know which way to go we have begun our real journey." (Free Play, p. 82) 

A blank canvas, whether black or white, invites me to this place: "The wildness of nature in the forests and on the plains is the same wildness we feel when a strong desire comes upon us and throws our hard-won living arrangements into question or threatens the moral principles that have remained fixed for many years. We could develop our interior selves and our personal lives with care for the wilderness in them, even as we do with the outer world around us. ...If we could really love the place where we were born and the place where we live, and let its history, geography, and genius [spirit] enter our lives and affect them in every aspect, then we might not be so fearful... and more positively, we might find the security we need in the ground under our feet." (Particularity of Place, pp. 150-152) 

© Dianne Pratt 2004

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