In an earlier previous post, "The Crypt", I used the image of an inner church and its crypt to indicate something of the location of one's spirit and soul, a location far removed from that of the ego. Only later did I realise that the imagery which did not arise was a church built in the Gothic style, a form of architecture which has great appeal for me. Rather it was one built in a rural-parish, Norman style with a crenelated tower for defence. And I wondered why that latter image came to mind.
The soaring Gothic arches atop walls punctured with panels of fragile glass have an appeal that calls to an instinct for purity in me, of reaching ever upwards ..... but towards what? To what does it strive? In contrast to that the rural church is far more 'earthly', even to the point of being humble. And I believe it is that sense of the ..... humble ..... that appeals to the feelings [and I stress feelings] of the ..... heart, rather than the thoughts and emotions of the ego.
It is my belief that my inner ..... "conversations" ..... fulfil a number of functions, as does any conversation. In this particular case, it is indicating a way forward, a way of contemplation rather than meditation. Or more exactly, since most of my work deals with imagery and symbolism, a development from kataphatic to apophatic contemplation is being suggested, as I understand those terms.
Hi Tom
ReplyDeleteAn inspiration post that reminds me of our river trip we enjoyed from Budapest to Amsterdam and elsewhere in the UK as we we were continually dazzled by the magnificent Gothic architecture. That sense of place and the feeling we felt of fond memories of a community focus. Lingering on to transcend the bitterness and strife we can equally associate on the darker side of history. St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne is an outstanding example of Gothhic architecture revitalised and inspired from centuries before. Best wishes
Hi Lindsay,
DeleteI'm glad this post revived happy memories for you. Certainly, Gothic architecture never fails to inspire me. I remember, [can I ever forget?] a picture of the splendid, but now regrettably lost, Cluny abbey [not Gothis of course, but equally uplifting] reconstructed as an edifice of light. Pure? Yes ..... Spiritual? [if I must use that word] Yes. But also a sense of being 'beyond', certainly beyond those who quarried the abbey for ill-sorted building projects.