Tour of London, 2011. Final stop for day: Victoria and Albert Museum. To observe paintings and ceramics throughout the massive building, it was necessary to walk miles and miles. I didn't know until recently that John Constable (1776-1837) was Britain's best-loved artist or I might have ignored my sore feet and fatigued body (mostly what I remember about the V & A) and rallied to locate a Constable.
The article mentions Constable worked and reworked other painter's ideas, often giving them as much attention as he gave his own work. He grappled with the complex subtleties of ideas put forth by others.
Not only that, Constable worked to make his paintings convey the layered complexity of nature.
He was ahead of his time.
What a guy!
He knew how to shift his attention from passive attention to active attention. Active attention is the focus of today's mindfulness. Pay attention, be in the Now. Slow down and pay attention.
My goal is to slow down enough to consider that most of what I deal with comes in layers. When we slow down enough to pay attention, it is obvious that paying attention to the surface layer of most things is not enough. There is always more to consider.
Do you have a Constable hanging in your living room? Would you like to have a Constable? Do you know a constable? Do you practice active attention? If you meditate and follow your breath or a word you chose and return to it over and over during your meditation, you are practicing active attention. Do you pay attention to layers? Please let me know by replying to this message or going to blog and posting in comment section.
Thanks for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall
The above image is to represent the complexity of nature and is not a Constable. Google John Constable to see his work.
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