“I feel the darkness near me; I feel the light shining. And more keenly, I feel the contrast between the two.”
– Anne Rice, The Witching Hour
My art is marked by contrast, and not just in matters of aesthetics. It is interesting being an artist because it holds a mirror up to your life, perspective, internal workings, dreams, desires, fears, joys, loves, and hopes–the list goes on. In many ways, it seems like your subconscious laid bare. It teaches me more than anything ever could. My feelings, reality, and the way I consume and experience the world around me are a framework created by contrast. It is a powerful tool and guide in life, highlighting differences and creating emphasis through juxtaposing contending elements. Contrast defines meaning.
Contrast is what reveals both beauty and truth. Light and darkness accentuate each other. The dance between the two provides a clarity that would cease to exist without either counterpart. In the depths of darkness, it is slivers of light that guide us. In the absence of light, we seemingly roam aimlessly and even hopelessly. Yet, many times the darkness is necessary. It allows us to turn inward, cornering us with ourselves. Even if you try to look away, it grabs your face, holding you in place, and forces you to confront your own identity. This form of a Dark Night of the Soul may seem desolate, but it is a blessing. Because when the light comes, you will know precisely who you are. When the light falls before you, action follows, and now, you have a path. The world opens up and you must remember all that you were shown in the dark. It is easy to lose yourself in the light, to dissolve right into it, to assimilate. To maintain the duality is to follow the truth and essence of your own path.
Oscillating between extremes, contrast is an eternal dance revealing heartbreak, love and purpose. Holding the light and dark within your heart and gaze is a daunting task, yet it is one our souls are meant to have. We hold the vastness of galaxies within us. We cannot confine our spirits to our bodies. For as far as we extend into the light, we reach into the depths. For however much joy, we have as much suffering. For however much pain, we have just as much love. Life is completely bittersweet and there is so much grace in the in-between. Grace and love are the bridge uniting the light and dark, creating a world of depth and nuance, holding the secrets of life, love and being.
“As within, so without, as above, so below, as the universe, so the soul.”
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