MIND IN ART : Exploring the Possible Origins of Creativity / An Open Studio Talk

MIND IN ART : Part 1

Last year I attended a Workshop on the subject of consciousness. Nassim Haramein is a leader in the field of unified physics. He said “The deeper we think the more information becomes available to us.“.

This statement was predicated on the basis that space is not empty, but full of energy and information. I was intrigued and contacted Herve to enquire about the possible source of his creativity: -

1. Herve, what inspires you to paint?

Herve responded with a quote from Seneca the Philosopher :-

“We must wander like the bees gathering nectar from the flowers and combine these cells to produce a unique flavour for ourselves.”.

I paint in order to deal with the Gods, to reveal to me an inner expression and personal description. It is not about copying what I see in the material world, it is about recreating my surroundings, although I may return to a painting years later wanting to change it

Working in my studio, for me is like being in a religious setting. I need to feel a spiritual calmness. The work must talk to me, to the extent where my mind is involved in the process, not in the end result. I have no real control over the work tempo, or the flow that will carry me along on a designated path to arrive at its raison d’être.

Primordial in origin, an inner vision can change direction or seek self-expression. It has to come from something deep inside, from something that I do not know.

L’ÉTERNITÉ Oil on canvas 40x35in Herve Constant

ISOLATION Acrylic on paper 10x10in Herve Constant

2. How curious are you to explore your inner world?

My understanding of creativity is that it relates to having increased sensitivity. I say this because my favourite artists, in any creative field, seem to be extremely sensitive people with their own understanding and perception of the world surrounding them. Creating art is a complex study, yet I will still feel a child-like excitement as there is always a certain alchemy that can surprise me.

I understand that my mind is on a new journey, but it takes courage to go into the unknown. and this can feel quite uncomfortable at the beginning of new work, but later on the rewards are there.

PANDEMIC Acrylic on canvas 50x42in Herve Constant

I may paint a series of symbols that are objects that make me question a certain value as it relates to the natural world, since the forces of nature - earth, wind, fire, water - remind us of a greater, timeless truth.

We pass by, but nature remains an eternal force far greater than ourselves. It is important to remember to place ourselves within this wider context. This is why I paint visual statements when I referred to earlier about wanting to be with the Gods, to able to acknowledge the eternal beauty into which our individual lives have been created and poured into being.

TRACES Acrylic on paper 20x16in Herve Constant

I wanted to dive deeper into the source of the imagery seen in many of Herve’s paintings and asked if he thought there was a kind of shamanic quality about his work.

Herve said he seeks to represent a ‘sensorial’ framework, by retrieving memories which would otherwise remain lost or hidden, and mood figures in many of his works.

Thorns was derived from the ‘Crown of Thorns’ said to have adorned the head of Christ. Layout of Stones appears to depict a stone-age labyrinth or maze, reminiscent of those ancient representations of the cosmological order as seen in the mid-night sky. Perhaps such imagery has been derived from archetypal or symbolic representations whose recognition is common to all throughout time.

MIND IN ART : Part 2

Having reflected on Herve’s work, I suggested that perhaps having an ‘artistic eye’ takes us on a journey based on those subtle sensations emanating from an intuitive function which, in depth psychology, is understood to operate as an information-gathering unconscious process outside our usual level of awareness.

Socratic wisdom reminds us there are limits to our knowledge, and I am thinking of Herve’s earlier paintings, which today may be perceived as having foretold something about our current experiences related to the pandemic, since these earlier works only now seem to have reached their fuller capacity to communicate meaning, when we see a man’s head covered or sense the impact of a solitary confinement known as ‘Incarceration’.

STUDIO 29: Herve Constant

Once Herve explained why he created many of his works this knowledge perhaps provides a gateway into a deeper understanding of ‘mind in art’ as a possible window onto the soul.

Consciousness, we are now being told, may in fact be primary and thus creates our physical world, not the other way around, and certainly an artist must first perceive an inner truth out of which his creativity flows. It may be useful to remember that at one time our earth was deemed to be flat, otherwise people living at the bottom of a sphere would simply fall off and float away into outer space.

I hope we have ignited your curiosity to try and discover more about the natural laws fuelling artistic desires and I would like to thank Herve for sharing his personal exploratory Testament.

In summation the mystery of creation is so profound, a way forward is for us to explore with an open heart and an open mind to help reinforce our sense of wonder and appreciation.

By challenging ourselves to explore the origins of our creative forces, questions raised and thoughts shared may strengthen our sense of awareness regarding the mysteriously energetic forces within, in the hope that in so doing we will reinforce our respect for life’s intelligent design.

You are invited to share your thoughts and any subjective experiences that gave you a fresh recognition of reality, perhaps from a dream, experience or memory that prompted you to think in a new way. I leave it to you to formulate your thoughts and ideas and share them with us. Thank you.

Madelyn Freeman