Abstract Reality

If you've been hanging out here awhile you know that I am a full-time artist. And if you've dug around a little deeper you probably read where I label my painting style "expressionistic impressionism." For those without a background in art or art history those two words used together as a description makes an interesting conundrum. If I were to reverse the sequence and use the term "impressionistic expressionism" then the phrase honestly becomes an absurdity, an impossibility.

From Wikipedia, expressionism was...coined by Czech art historian Antonín Matějček in 1910 as the opposite of impressionism: "An Expressionist wishes, above all, to express himself....[An Expressionist rejects] immediate perception and builds on more complex psychic structures....Impressions and mental images that pass through mental peoples soul as through a filter which rids them of all substantial accretions to produce their clear essence [...and] are assimilated and condense into more general forms, into types, which he transcribes through simple short-hand formulae and symbols." While both are subjective emotion filled art forms the above phrase describing the expressionist as rejecting "immediate perception" makes them polar opposites in regards to motivation.

Similarly artists of both movements broke free from the constraints their contemporary critics placed upon them. Accepted rules and precepts were tossed aside in favor of freedom to experience creativity in a new way. If impressionism is rebellious then expressionism is sheer anarchy. And through their dismantling of subject matter and reassembling upon the canvas artists forced the rest of us to view the world differently. What was once ugly became beautiful. What was once mundane became extraordinary. Complexity became simplified.

In this day and age we parents of exceptional children are not unlike the artists of those two forms of art. We are breaking away from the constraints society has put upon us. We are showing the world how just extraordinary these kids are, and how they offer so much once they are accepted and welcomed into the world around them. If you would only look just a bit closer what seems frightening can turn into pure joy.

Fear is an unfortunate part of our reality. It is the evil motivator. Through it minds, individuals, societies, even entire races have become enslaved. We must work to remove fear where ever it exists. So I ask you to read very closely Redneck Mommy's post from earlier today. I think that is a great place to start in transitioning from fear of folks different from us to embracing them as our fellow brother or sister.