January 6 is Epiphany, the last ‘Day of Christmas.’ In many cultures, it is a day of celebration, marking the visitation of the wise men, the magi, to the baby Jesus. The wise men revealed the divinity of the baby Jesus to the world.
The Magi Journeying, Tissot, 1886-1894, Brooklyn Museum
The Cambridge English dictionary defines epiphany as a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.
The Art Caravan’s theme for this year, 2017, came as a ‘mini’ Epiphany when writing the posting about Robert Irwin’s 1°2°3°4°. Speaking about his installation, Irwin said,
And here it’s like I am saying, you know the kind of attention you have been taught to lavish on a Renaissance landscape within its as-if window frame, try lavishing that sort of attention on the world itself. In fact, get rid of the window. Just experience the world!
The Art Caravan will be doing its best to experience the world this year. Off we go!
Two great mantras for the coming year.
Must use lavish more in my writing.
It’s a great word, isn’t it?
People might want to read T S Eliot’s, ” The Journey of the Magi.” These magi were ordinary people, carping and complaining much like ourselves, and yet they had to make room for a divine revelation, struggle with the sacred in the secular. I think the painting suggest relatively ordinary guys, quite modern looking, perhaps transcending time to suggest the quest is still with us.
Great idea, Diane!
Very insightful comments. Maybe you could be a ‘guest writer’ for the Art Caravan?!
Thanks for reading.