What We Carry Forward: Memory, Endurance, and the Work of Change
Pen and ink contemporary fine art by Doug Ashby.
Memory is not a vessel that preserves things unchanged for us. It is more akin to an environment that distills time and carries forward that which is most important and instructive. Images are an important part of memory as they serve as a container allowing us to revisit the past, sit with the present and contemplate the future all at once. When I look at the above artwork so many memories present themselves to me.
I recall a day not too long ago when I sat contemplating a holly bush, with its bright berries, somehow thriving in the middle of winter. This moment occurred shortly before my father passed and I do not doubt that he is very present in the work. Then there is the look toward the future. Another years end and all that it represents in hope for what is to come. As I look to the future this artwork reminds me that endurance is a common theme amongst all of us and that through that lens possibilities, hopes and dreams, remain very much alive.
A year ago, right here on my blog, I posted a poem with another artwork that grew out of the same moment in time. The poem spoke of family and tradition and how that is the foundation of strength for all of us. I return to that post, the poem, and the subject not as an act of nostalgia but one of inquiry. With a year's distance I want to see what weight and perspective time may have added. Time away can be a clarifying act. In this, and in recent posts, I have been creating a tradition as an artist to revisit older work to see what is still relevant, what holds, as well as to reflect on growth and discover new meaning in old creations. I know that I am at a threshold moment and I want to see what is still instructive and how it is that those lessons allowed me to grow.
As the cold bears down and the days grow short, retreat begins.
All the while, strength—garnished in love—endures and shines bright in the light of memory and tradition.
With time, distance in memory grows.
Flourishing, deepening meaning and perspective.
Tradition is enshrined, forever reborn through the generations.
Like the enduring holly, the love of family and friends breathes life into all of us—
Ever true,
Everlasting.
As I read this poem a year later I am reminded deeply of something I can easily lose sight of. The magic of life often does not happen in special moments, it occurs in the mundanity. The everyday. I am presented with the reality that family is the true foundation of strength, and through that connection and tradition, we endure. Yet traditions, like images and memories, must also grow and change. They must adapt to new realities in order to remain resilient. Passive persistence erodes away at memory and overtime can be a source of drain. Instead endurance requires us all to sustain attention and effort in a way that allows us to reframe what once was, so it continues to serve.
The holly bush, its leaves and berries, have long served as a metaphor and direct symbol of resilience. It embodies the definition of evergreen. The pink berries offer an intentional deviation that exemplifies love within strength. Care and tenderness. For resilience, and the endurance that grows from holding fast through difficult and challenging moments, does not always lead to a cold hardness. Through the examined life we can transform our experiences into something much more needed, and honorable. This takes continuity with care. A degree of appreciation that can not exist in a singularity. The holly bush, in its true abundance, exemplifies that source of power within its multitudes.
As I reflect back on this lived year, and look at what it is I want to actively support and carry forward into the new, I desire a way to shape this, codify it, in a simple way that allows for continual instruction. What standards for myself do I want to uphold in the new year that will underpin forward momentum and build the deep roots needed. I start then from a point of recognizing, cherishing, and growing wisdom. From there I desire to build habits and practices that allow me to cultivate the physical and mental states to reflect on, examine, and recognize intentionally what is supportive. Positive change is an act of labor. It is daily and imperfect. There will be many pitfalls, and they are necessary. Yet building the structures that gently push me forward, with credence to the good already, and working to lattice that upward is a valuable endeavor that I believe will pay positive dividends.
So much of what I do in this life is in pursuit of a certain goal. Where being an artist first and foremost becomes reality. There will always be distractions of course but of the things I desire most this ranks highly. Each piece I create marks a moment. Not celebratory, nor confessional. A moment that persists and adapts over time. Each artwork carries its purpose forward and outward for others to interact with. Into different lives and new spaces that shape its intention in ways I could not imagine when creating it. Over time I also discover new meaning within what I have created, yet I know that is different from the perception of others and as the artist I celebrate that. Art, like humans, is on a continuous journey of becoming.
Each piece of art I create is many things, however at its core it is a practice. There is no certainty at the inception that it will work, and within that lies the main tenant. The process is ongoing and unfinished. I can look back on this artwork, and its siblings and understand that there was a time and place for its creation. I can honor that memory and yet still recognize that it has more to reveal. Each artwork therefore serves as a reminder that the process of life is ever unfinished. That the becoming is the pathway, and that there are foundational supports that push us. In this new year I hope to honor what it is that gives me strength and use that to open up the doors for what comes next.
As always I hope you enjoy the art and the writing. If you would like to engage in a conversation about this artwork and the ideas around it please leave a comment. I promise I will respond.
Thanks,
Doug
