The 19th century essayist and poet, Matthew Arnold said, "Excellence is not common and abundant. On the contrary, as the Greek poet long ago said, excellence dwells among rocks hardly accessible, and a man must almost wear his heart out before he can reach her."
Perhaps almost wearing your heart is the cost of excellence, the price of creation.
When I was fifteen I took my first and only trip to Kashmir, not realizing that generations would grow up thinking of that enchanted place not as the paradise we did, but as a battleground.
There was this shop in Srinagar owned by this old artist/artisan who made the most exquisite papier mache, (not the stuff you get in the state emporia), delicate, multi-layered, intricate flawless pieces. He signed all his work on the bottom, in a sprawling calligraphic signature...the same name as his store, 'Suffering Moses.' His name was Moses. I had to know, had to ask him, 'Why Suffering Moses?"
He looked at me, intently, his eyes a strange shade somewhere between green and grey, the pink skin of his cheeks glowing, "Young lady. How else could I make anything beautiful? Only by suffering, right? I suffer for my art. You create nothing good if you don't suffer."
And that to me, is the relationship between excellence and suffering. Thank you Suffering Moses wherever you are.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
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5 comments:
in the stillness of mid-lake
is it ever possible to create when harmony reigns?
on a windless day the sail boat in the middle of the lake might appear picturesque…but it is not going anywhere!
the artist has to have a degree of sensitivity that exceeds the norm ( whatever that maybe)
unless the artist’s boat passes through storms, rocky seas, leaks and countless unexpected adversity how can s/he absorb that pain that results in that fire in the belly so necessary for creating… any work?
keep them coming J:)
I was lucky enough to visit Kashmir this summer, and the shop is still there. The work is beautiful, and the man who runs it is intelligent, interested, and friendly. I think he is a relative of the original artisan.
Thank you for your writing. I thought you might like to know that Suffering Moses is still there.
Indeed, Suffering Moses did amazing work. I visited and bought many things in late 1982 - but there was already an imitator nearby using the same shop name with just a tiny "Jr." in the sign, and there was no relation or similarity in the quality of work. Caveat emptor.
Just unpacking a box of my parents things from their house in Boston when I was a child in the 50's, out came an amazing lacquer cylindrical box signed 'Suffering Moses " on the bottom. I remember being intrigued by the delicate golden & flower design of this box and it's strange signature as it sat 'in state' in the off-limits living room. It was surely a gift from Indian friends and colleagues of my father. Knowing your story helps me to cherish it even more.
I have been searching for "Suffering Moses." My mother before passing away would point to a red flower strewn laquered box and say "remember. this was done by Suffering Moses." I thought she also said that about a piece of artwork I now have hanging on my wall that is gilded and decorated with small birds and flowers. I am glad to know there was a real person with that name. I have found too that I have been more creative in times when I was trying to transform personal suffering or sadness or make sense of suffering in the world
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