The "art" of silence
A virtual museum to inspire stillness--an interlude between Exit 9 Mile Marker2 (Making a decision to slow down) and 3 (Embracing Beauty as a Fundamental need)
This is another Exit 9 interlude* as I continue my research on beauty.
John-Mark L. Miravalle, in his book Beauty: What it is and Why it Matters, says that the two elements of beauty are order and surprise. An interesting idea! Think about that as you read the following article. How would you define beauty? What attracts and inspires you?
*originally published in my blog
Exercise for the week: Go to a museum.
When was the last time you went to a museum? There is so much inspiration for silence there!
I just went to a museum today: not the Guggenheim–the Google museum. In an effort to find non-verbal inspiration for stillness, I went to Google Images and here is what I found.
Which of these paintings inspires stillness in you?
Are you inspired by nature?
Leonid-Afremov-Winter-Silence
Or..
Joseph Mallord William Turner: Norham Castle: Sunrise
Are you inspired by order?
Laszio Thorsen Nagel: Plaid Strokes
Or randomness?
Joan Miro: Woman and Bird in the Night
Or minimalism?
Source: Shutterstock
How about the face of stillness?
Leonardo da Vinci: Detail of an angel in Madonna of the Rocks
Personally, I am inspired by images of empty rooms, light, and windows.
Lee Ufan: Silence Room
Ida Lorentzen: Looking Back
Salvador Dali: Figure at a Window
Is this enough motivation for you to visit a museum this week? If you roll up all the time you usually spend on social media in a typical week, you will likely have enough time to stop by a museum or gallery in your town or city. If you’re looking for silence (internal as well as external) in your life, this is a good way to do it.
Beautiful art is a great cure for the noisies.