Spirit Taking Form.Spirit Taking Form. Nancy Azara. Boston, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser (617-542-1324), 2002. Illus., softcover soft·cov·er adj. Not bound between hard covers: softcover books; a softcover edition. , 160 pp., $18.95. Making authentic art with a basis in feminist imagery and theory--defined as freedom to explore everything and that nothing is out of reach/the personal as political--is at the heart of this lively book on the spiritual aspects of art expression. The author, a noted sculptor, explores how artmaking is connected to the imagination and can be developed through meditation meditation, religious discipline in which the mind is focused on a single point of reference. It may be a means of invoking divine grace, as in the contemplation by Christian mystics of a spiritual theme, question, or problem; or it may be a means of attaining and other alternative practices. Each of the book's twelve chapters begins with an introductory quote by the likes of Octavio Paz Octavio Paz Lozano (March 31, 1914 – April 19, 1998) was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature. Early life and writings Paz was born in 1914 in Mexico City during the Revolution. , Emily Dickinson, John Dickinson, John, 1732–1808, American patriot and statesman, b. Talbot co., Md. After studying law in Philadelphia and in London at the Middle Temple, he developed a highly successful practice in Philadelphia. Cage, Georgia O'Keeffe Georgia Totti O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887—March 6,1986) was an American artist. She is typically associated with the American Southwest and particularly New Mexico where she settled late in life. O'Keeffe has been a major figure in American art since the 1920s. and others. Sample chapter headings include: Personal Journeys, Cultivating the Imagination, Truth and Myth about Being an Artist, and Meditation and the Creative Mind. Azara also tells of her own teaching experiences, and suggests how to look at a work of art and develop a visual memory. She also encourages the viewing of many artworks from the twelfth century forward, the making of a personal diary, and a variety of other interesting topics. This book also presents practical teaching ideas and provocative questioning strategies along with numerous brief essays about an assortment of related topics. A helpful system of icon placements indicates hands-on exercises, visual exercises, and meditation practices. Well worthy of consideration for one's personal library. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion