Sticks and Stones ☮

Does it not revolt you how ignorant, egotistical, feeble people try to take their rage and resentment out on you? Even if you’ve done nothing erroneous, you haven’t even said a word to provoke the said fury; you are merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Occasionally that’s not even the case, sometimes, you are having a guiltless conversation and this ignorant individual seems to discard every single utterance that comes out of your mouth. Not that there is anything immoral or incorrect with what you’re saying, it is just that they are not capable of or willing to comprehend the significance and importance of what you are trying to convey to them. Even if what you are trying to communicate, is purely that generalizations of a community/gender/ethnicity/culture/race/age into a category without knowing or recognizing all of the facts beforehand is incorrect and decadent!

I honestly do not think that there is anything ethically wrong in trying to prevent these generalizations as I believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity of being innocent until proven guilty. You simply cannot oversimplify an age old nation of people with disregard to their history, their culture, and their beliefs without having known them in advance! And even then, you still cannot generalize or stereotype and utter the word “all” because you have not met every distinct individual in that nation. You haven’t gotten to know them. You don’t even know their names. The few things that you are basing your allegations on are simple, infinitesimal, and dispersed data that are established upon separate incidents, and because you now have this said “understanding”, you guiltlessly categorize an entire country, into a certain typecast.

Now forgive me, as I am liable to disagree with this concept, and will continue to oppose this notion. Forgive me if I will not aspire to become like you, akin to the same things you do, be the same way you are, and essentially be you. Because I am my own person, I have my own opinions, dreams, aspirations and ambitions, - we all do- and I refuse to permit anyone to stand in my way. I suppose numerous people could, and will ask me; “why do you care so much? You are quarreling and shielding a populace you do not even know.” Well, that may be true, but I am not ashamed to give a voice to those who do not have one. I am not ashamed to defend the accused, when all the prosecutors have to defend their judgments, are simple illogical and invalid arguments that in essence are entirely and ultimately nonsensical. And to the person who raised this query, I will solicit them another inquiry in return; why do you not care? Do you not see that we as people of the world, have become so stone cold and inert that we are able to sit on our couches sipping cappuccinos’ while watching people die, have their lives ripped apart, be faced with absolute and sheer desolation, and annihilation, only for us to be sympathetically affected for a nanosecond before turning to the next channel in order to be mesmerized and brainwashed while viewing something more “entertaining”- how is that even normal?

I care because I refuse to continue living in a world where hate is the norm. I care because I want my children, and my children’s children, and their children’s children, along with their families, friends and cousins and distant cousins, and disrant relatives to live in a world where hate is not the norm. Where individuals will not tolerate being, or permit themselves to be indifferent bystanders to unremitting transgressions. I do not understand how people are able to accept and exist with hate, and then completely reject peace, discard even the idea of it, calling you foolish and crazy to even consider it. Maybe I am crazy, I mean people have been struggling for peace for lifetimes, and I know nothing will happen to revolutionize anything in mine, but I refuse to be a spectator, yes I will fight, yes I will argue but I will not, I cannot relinquish my aspirations.

I for one will not give up. I will not sell out. I will keep trying even if my goals seem unfeasible and unattainable to accomplish, because I am not in a state where I am able to or willing to give up. Do these words trouble you enough to at least strive to put a stop to a world of corruption, devastation and demise? Are you willing to stand up for what you believe in?

Or are you prepared to exist and be acquaintances with hatred evermore?
xoxo ♥

Clear Hearts & Grey Flowers ♥

There’s something about the deliberate emphasis of positive expression, the distinction an artist puts on a fantastical reality, within our reality that attracts me to their art. It’s beautiful, magnificent, unrealistic, innovative, even grotesque and bizarre. So before I go into why I am being exceedingly drawn into the world of Mark Ryden, here’s a brief account on the advent of surrealism. It began in the twentieth century as a literary and artistic movement, and flourished predominantly in Europe. The interest in surrealism grew out of the preceding Dada movement – art that focused on the idea of anti-war politics- and the rationale for its amplification, was not only the rise of World Wars I and II, but also the succinct fact that people began to see the flaws attributed to the destruction that came with the “rationalism” that was the main supporter of European customs and policies. André Breton, publisher of “The Surrealist Manifesto” and who is now recognized as the founder of Surrealism tried to generate the idea that Surrealism was to be used as a means of reuniting conscious and unconscious realms of experience, in a world where dreams and fantasies collaborated and are brought forth to be viewed and critiqued in our “rational” world. According to Breton, in order to classify this type of work as “genius” you need to access a generally unexploited realm, search deep within your soul and combine your feelings, your intimate fantasies, and dreams and this advice is to be adhered by poets and artists alike. Fortunately for art lovers like myself, this movement continues to prosper in all corners of this globe producing some of the best art ever to be seen.

As for Mark Ryden, he came to dominate the surrealistic world in the 1990’s, a time where artists and critics alike were eagerly awaiting the return of the art of painting. Although Ryden’s work can be classified as surrealistic, he seems to surpass the initial Surrealistic techniques by choosing subject matters that are quite diverse from the previous ones painted by artists such as Salvador Dali – another favorite of mine- Ryden is permeated with ambiguity and would rather attribute the drastic boundaries of his imagery to the intricate and convoluted composition of those leaps of imagination that lie outside the limits of intentionality. Ryden fills his paintings with cultural connotation, in which the viewer feels reassured by the exquisiteness and beauty of the painting only to be transported into the intended world where oddity and idiosyncrasy thrive within the culturally familiar. Dewy eyed vixens, alchemical symbols, cuddly plush pets, slabs of meat, religious emblems and primordial landscapes challenge the audience and allow the viewer to enter a world where childlike creatures filled with a sense of innocence and honesty live together in a world created by Ryden’s fingertips.

Amazingly, paintings are not Ryden’s only works; he has created a myriad of statues, ornaments, books, skeletons, and toys as well. The humorous yet intriguing thing about Ryden’s work is that if it is menacing, it is still immersed in an inexorable ray of reassurance. If it is morbid, it still manages to emanate life and verve. If it is tainted and cruel, it is so with such a pure innocence that we must attribute that idea to our own sullied minds. You don’t have to like his art to know that Mark Ryden does have talent, a talent so miscellaneous, extraordinary and unique that he allows us to delve into his personal idea of reality, and although his paintings are obscure and very surreal in nature, we all manage to find a way to connect with his passion.

So here’s my question to you; would you rather merge in with the norm and prolong the traditional theme of exclusively believing and following what seems to be “rational”, or would you select the other path, be exceptional and innovative, and even start your own movement? Oh, if you are looking to see more of Mark Ryden follow this link http://www.markryden.com/index.html, and enjoy the video.  :)
xoxo ♥