The tribe

I raise a glass in toast to our tribe! But let it be written that art is no more privileged nor exalted in providing a vehicle for civilized life, or brotherhood, than sport, or service, or blogging, or most any activity; the key to it all is The Golden Rule. I do not personally revere Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali as do many others because I believe his actions provided an example of poor sportsmanship to an entire generation. Sport, like art, can dissolve the perceptions of race, or class, between us if honored. But if either are ignorantly used to fuel disrespect, to dominate, to diminish an opponent then we are the brutish people we thought we were. The black and white photograph of Cassius Clay standing over Sonny Liston stands, for me, as a monumental moment of digression for sportsmanship around the world. Respect for a valiant, but vanquished opponent, is to use Sport as a vehicle for civilized activity. Magnifying slights from media quotes in order to ramp up your competitive zeal, and to compete in an ‘in your face’ mentality, disrespects Sport as well as your opponent, and serves to cheapen our relationship with others rather than promote it. In business it currently seems palatable and justifiable to make decisions without respect, as in: “Sorry, it’s not personal, it’s just business.” Well, in fact, it is ALWAYS personal, and to make decisions as if you are the representative for a stone monolith called a corporation you are not respecting the brother or sister your decision has impacted. Religion, or spirituality, in these ‘modern’ times appears to require total agreement among all parties or else violence is the prescription. That you cannot milk from your spiritual practice all that you personally need without requiring everyone in the whole world to accept your beliefs, and practice your rituals, belies the shallow foundation upon which your beliefs stand. Robert, you are right, Art is capable of rising above our baser instincts, all we need is character. But with character almost any endeavor in which we engage can provide us a vehicle in which we rise above religion, nationality, and race. I don’t know how to break the cycles of ignorance and conditioned responses for all people at the same time. Our world is set up in such a way that people are evolving and devolving at differing rates. I’ve read that the general direction of our evolution is toward a more enlightened human; I assume that means more character, more compassion, more intelligence, more respect. Art is but one of many avenues through which this positive evolution may reveal itself, and I try to imagine respectful, enlightened people engaging in art, sport, business, governance, parenting, spirituality, etc. Our tribe is one of many. Politicians are not the problem. Bigots and racists are not the problem. The economy is not the problem. The individual is the problem, and the answer, for our congressional representatives, for the bigots and racists, and for the economy, for all of our ills, are responsible, informed citizens, endowed with character, respect, and compassion. Our organizations are nothing more than groups of individuals. The world is a larger group of individuals. As artists, I would encourage my tribe to engage in raw imagination of the potential of our world. The most beautiful man-made structures never began with a set of blueprints. They began with an idea, an imagination, in someone’s mind. If you can’t imagine a beautiful world in which you’d be proud to live, a world you’d be proud to leave behind for your neighbor’s children, how low then, is the probability, that it will ever manifest?

Well said Robert. Now may we all live by your maxim and achieve the dream. You have indeed set the bar.

Works of art or music automatically acknowledge our common human thread. The best ones elevate the human condition universally.

I find today’s letter somewhat fanciful, a daydream really. We are, all of us, small people in our own small world. Yes, we reach out and occasionally connect with others; yes, we share some things in common with others. We want to be part of the greater brotherhood, but ultimately, we are alone. We create because it gives meaning to our lives. We share our creations as much as we can, because it brings us joy. “We artists certainly bring a world view based on respect…” That has not been my experience; within my small world, perhaps, but not universally. “The Internet builds friendships…” Internet friendships are not real. They can fill a void but certainly do not enrich our lives the way real friendships do. “Singularly and together the nations can make great music.” Metaphorically speaking, the ultimate daydream; if only it were possible.

Right on. I have been reading your emails for some time. You come across as a very wise man. When do you have the time to glean all your great information and paint as you do?

Lovely, Robert. I am honored to feel one of the tribe, altho just a fledgling artist. Bobbi

Thanks for “the Tribe”. It’s very true as I’ve found since being able to communicate with fellow members in many countries and states that I have started to look on our existence as a world one. Not a small local one. You’ve said it and so have I, we’re all in this together. Let’s make it as pleasant as possible and hope that those who lead start looking at the big picture and stop acting like 5th graders.

How true, Robert. Though I am far left-leaning, and some of my very best artist friends are Pillars of the Right, we share a love of art, and through that, of each other. I see how true and honest they are, it’s reflected in their work, and I feel that this shared love, of art, is stronger than any difference we might have. I am proud of their achievements and feel their encouragement and support daily. Art. It’s a wonderful thing.

I found this letter especially wise, and moving. I simply want to say thank you for being a voice of reason in a chaotic world. Your letters, and I suspect you, as a person, are very special. In my work, I strive for the kind of serenity you capture with your words. Just, thank you. Doniphan, MO.

I spent the summer of 1985 in the Soviet Union, a few months after Gorbachev came to power. Only 6 years earlier, BB King had toured the USSR, one of the first Americans to do so, and the Russians we met who saw him play told us they were shocked to learn that Americans had that much soul (or any, really). Clearly he was a fabulous ambassador and a better representative of the American people than the diplomatic formalities that kept us all in the dark at “5 minutes to midnight.” We spent a lot of time playing music and singing with the Russian friends we met there (often well lubricated, I might add). Maybe an artistic talent that can be shared should be a prerequisite for all our foreign agents. Music is a natural, but I would love to find a way for painting to build bridges as well.

We look forward to your regular letters. This one is ‘specially spot-on. I’m proud to be an active member of our Artists Tribe. P.O. Box 633, Sea Point, South Africa

The universality of art emanates from the mutual love that artists share for their environment. There are no barriers between people who are in love with that which they observe, whatever their race or beliefs. While artists have their individual styles and subject choices, they all love what they see and want to share that with the world around them. No artist, whatever their degree of proficiency, does not share this respect and appreciation for whatever they depict in their artwork.

Someone commented that “internet friendships are not real”. I have three internet artist friends. We all met on an art forum and have since connected directly for almost 10 years. One is in Wichita, Kansas, one is in Geelong, Australia, and one is in northern Ontario. I’m in British Columbia. We have never met face-to-face, but we have nurtured and encouraged each others artistic endeavors with honest critiques that have significantly helped each of us to improve the quality of our work. We share our personal lives and know each other just as well as it is possible to know other people, and I consider them amongst my most valued friends.

It would be difficult to wax rhapsodic about Charlie Parker’s life. It was a disaster mitigated only by his spark of genius. He was more than a “once in a generation” sort of artist. He was the sort of artist that so dominate a current style that everything that comes after can be shown to bear his influence. It would be easy to say that the Parker legend is stronger for its being brief, but that is simply not true. Once Charlie Parker hit his stride, everything in jazz changed. The great pity is that he was such a failure as a person (largely due to his addiction), that he alienated his strongest collaborators, and that his recorded legacy is brief and uneven. That aside, he astonished his contemporaries, and left the rest of us with recordings that cause musicians even today to gape in wonder. He certainly exemplified both the strengths and weaknesses of what it is to be human.

I am new to your letter but am familiar with your work and the wonderful way in which you share your thoughts with others. I could go on for quite some time in an effort to thank you for all of the reasons that come to mind. But in an effort to keep this brief, I will just say that I so appreciate the time you take to share your views with all of us who look forward to hearing from you. I wish you a wonderful day of painting to your heart’s content!

Regarding the oft-heard comment that “internet friendships are not real,” the internet may have its shortcomings, but the connections and distant friendships gained are a lot better than not making these connections at all.

I taught art for many years and one of my most important objectives was to create a classroom of acceptance: a place where teens were able to see something about their commonality as opposed to the differences they were inclined to emphasize. The room, over time, became almost a ‘peace zone’ with shared art and art-making the olive branch. Thank-you for this post.

The wisdom reflected through your letters is amazing and has always made me introspect and learn with the thoughts you share. I see the reality of this post in my art life, have made so many artist friends all over the world, I may never meet them in this life time, but there is certainly an affinity, respect for their works and friendship beyond color, creed or religion, thank you for this post!

We all have an agenda; it may be simply to make ends meet, esteem, financial gain, but more often it is to become better artists. We each have a pinnacle we desire to achieve. It is a continuing struggle we hope to find in the next painting, the next project. But universally, it is the love of art … it trumps selfishness. I submit our calling leaves the negatives of human character far in the background. Nothing wrong with wanting financial success … but not at the expense of greed trampling others in our wake. That mindset of artists to strive for excellence is what raises our tribe above those who are not. There is integrity in our quest. Pity the person who can’t feel that. I suppose some athletes feel the same about their passion as we do ours. But watching two men beat each other to a pulp leaves me cold. Competition is more than disabling your opponent. Art can transcend religion, race, nationality, and even history … oddly enough, the Olympics are supposed to do that but have become a stage for national egos. Neither can we trust the results anymore. I can’t think of any enterprise you can separate politics and profit as the primary goals. One characteristic of a tribe is support for its common survival. Even though ours is a lone pursuit it is a fine thing to encourage a fellow artist within the tribe. Respect is one hallmark of civilization and the commentary here is stimulating and positive. Art is a communicator of ideals. I appreciate this forum being a cumulative voice of many.

We artists have a special bond, like family, and it’s a wonderful world there.

It’s hard to say which is more excellent, your paintings or your writings. Thank you so much for the helpful information you so freely share with your audience. Ringgold, GA

Wouldn’t it be amazing if art was the missing ingredient in the recipe for peace. Throw away your guns and pick up your brush, your horn or your play. I think it is so sad that this country sensationalizes sports and yet calls art a luxury we really don’t need. I’ve never heard of anyone getting a brain injury from painting. Thanks for letting me comment.

Trouble is, if we formed a group, it would begin to look like a religion–an Artist’s religion–and other religions would start to find fault and discriminate against us, as religions have done since time began. No, I think we just have to do what you suggested–show more character without getting trapped in a liturgy or a bureaucracy. But if we did go for it, would you be our first pope?

What a beautiful and inspiring article! I shall indeed raise my glass to toast the “tribe”. We really do share a sense of community and a deep love for art. It, like music, is a universal language which perhaps is a vehicle for peace. Thank you for your wonderful and relevant articles!

We all need to consider picking up a paint brush instead of a gun! Just think how beautiful all of our lives would be even if we didn’t paint well.

It boosts my self confidence to learn that I am a part of a tribe.

A hammer-dulcimer musician and entertainer from Virginia, USA, has remarked that you can’t make war while you’re making music! He suggests air lifting musical instruments into area of conflict… Maryland, USA

YES—I raise my glass as a toast of gratitude to be in communion with “the Tribe.” A gift!

I enjoy all your letters and I look forward to them. This one is special in a warm and unifying way – it makes me very happy to belong to the tribe. Thank you for writing your letters!

The universal elevation of the human condition and therefore- the species- will only happen when (all) individual humans themselves choose to evolve. An ‘enlightened human’ in fact- actually and also means literally becoming physically RADIANT. One opens the inner channel for this possibility by merging the positive and negative- and all other dualities- not by denying the negative. Integration is what’s necessary for a healed future human condition to manifest. And anything less is pointless.

The universal elevation of the human condition will not happen until humans evolve from superstition and the pat acceptance of one sided answers to many sided questions. The world, the universe, is far more wonderful than originally thought, and many artists know this intuitively. Thanks, Bruce.

I admit it- I am selfish. I promote my cause in the hopes others will see what it is I see and have some effect on them. I don’t see myself as a special savior with special talents in creating art. I do believe that whatever I paint should come from an inner source and have meaning- if only for me. I can’t paint for the world or change the world with art. I can only report. Nor do I see other artist who necessarily effect me, but in all honesty many artist have had an impact on me and my work. In the end, I am a loner and we are not a tribe but more a band of individuals all seeking to be seen and heard. To have our voice heard. I could just as well have been actor, politician, public speaker, writer. It turned out my ability was art, painting to more exact. I would love to think artists, in general are special, heck what artist wouldn’t? We use art as our language through which we make ourselves heard. Most often we are speaking to the choir, those already on the same track while the “outside” world blunders forth, stumbling in the dark to make their way with my art having little effect. I shutter to think of any one person’s vision having the effect of galvinizing a society. I believe in a nation of free thinkers. While I think myself a free thinker I am bound by the same rules and tenents and principles that govern all people. The need to survive and thrive as best I can. In the end we are all alone in a vast crowd.

It is a privilege to belong to an extended family of artists. My motive for producing beauty is getting attention in a positive manner and just for the love of beauty itself. In a large family with diverse characters, we competed for attention and art is how I succeeded, plus I was genetically engineered this way. Art is indeed a language that is like sign language, transcending the babel of the spoken word. I like to think I leave a legacy to those who have known me and to their kids who knew me. I’d like to expand our “tribe” by interacting with those who learn from me.

To paraphrase the Girl Scouts, I’ve always felt that I am a friend to all artists and a sister to every other Printmaker.

I got on to Robert’s list of fellow painters in the late 1990’s when this forum first started. At that time I could paint often as I had little full-time employment. Most of my days are now spent teaching French as a second language. I read these letters and comments with mixed feelings. Regret for not painting so much and relief to know that I am still a member of this elite group of creators. Thanks Robert for giving us a forum for keeping in touch, inspired, encouraged and motivated.

I look forward to your letters and reading the comments of others. Where do you find the time to write and paint. I wish everyone would be connected to your letters of encouragement and inspiring thoughts.