What is a good philosophy or ideal to live by?
God, according to my baby son and his little friends, is a 12cm tall red cycling duck (to adults it is a wind-up toy). The Buddhists believe that their cycling duck has the name Buddha. The Christians believe that their cycling duck has a name unknown to us. It is a mystery but people are generally intrigued by what they do not know. At the end of the day, what is a name...its importance is not in the word, but the significance or worth that we give it. The same can be said for money, its true worth is the value of the printed paper, but its significant worth is of course far greater. People go to war for these little bits of printed paper or account numbers, some starve while their neighbours are rich (have more numbers), and some people deprive themselves from living their life to get more little numbers or bits of printed paper.
Money (wealth), Buddha, Mohammed and Jesus have been undoubtedly influencial on the development of modern society and socio-economic factors. One can clearly see their significance. What I also find interesting is the aspect of interpretation of what is said, how it is subjective. We hear what we choose to hear, see what we choose to see. If we can alter the parameters of perception, then the message received changes accordingly. Some things become forgotten or changed according to the social or political environment, and also there is the aspect of changing languages. For example, what does the term "virgin" refer to in "Virgin Mary" ...is it referring to sexual virginity, marital status or offspring status?
In being a dynamic species (Homo Sapien Sapien) in a dynamic environment, the issue of "truth" or "what is significant to the individual" is continually changing. An example of this is to observe a hormonal teenager who hears an angry RAP song and declares "this is the greatest music on the planet, and all of my parent's music is rubbish". As he says this, his parents are thinking that their child's music choice is rubbish and that he cannot apprecate good taste as they know it. "The Beatles are the best band", they say. The parent's parents in turn consider their "informed perspective" as a rubbish choice, and should listen to Nat King Cole, and so on and so on.
Perhaps we are always correct in the moment according to personal significance and relative truth. Everything is "true" and "false" simultaneously.
I believe there is nothing tangible or intangible higher than truth. The expression of personal truth as a fundamental social practice would eliminate much social fear and inhibition, allowing for people to be true to themselves, and to find answers to the deep inner searchings, perhaps finding their soul, super-ego or even their inner cycling duck. But of course not all intentions are honorable and some truths are better kept in private or within relative social circles (i.e. prison).
Truth is relative to the subjective perceiver, hence truth may be indefinite in conclusion. I am of the opinion that an objective perception may expand subjective truth enabling us to find momentary clarity.
According to the philosopher Derrida, many of our limitations to perceiving objective and subjective truths come from the nature of the attainment factors of knowledge, that is, we may only seek knowledge from the basis of what we have been taught. Derrida's theory of "deconstruction" attempts to recall a source, the initiator of knowledge itself. Change the initial and the outcome will be greatly changed. Given the limited maximum variables of alphabetic use, their sequences are lfinite, and knowledge passed as words finds boundaries that may limit expansive thought or objective perception.
Of course art also has its own limitations. Canvas and paint exists as a defined space and medium. I believe that image allows for a greater freedom of expression as certain colours may induce feelings and/or sensations, for example blue induces coolness and red and yellow tones invoke warmth. There may also be neurological or cognitive triggers of memory, and completely new sensations or feelings previously unfelt. With thought provoking images, who knows what boundaries may be surpassed in our consciousness.
My art attempts to go beyond the realms of a world limited by boundaries, and many of my works are representations of dreams or meditative visuals. I attempt to portray "true feeling" using tools such as irrational and surreal images (colour scheme and familiar neurological triggers). Yet a lot of my work is completely spontaneous, as if the white canvas finds its image through the vessel called Steven Kostic. In many cases it seems like when the work is complete, I awake from a kind of trance and cannot believe that it was I whom painted.
Perhaps it is getting in touch with the present, like capturing a moment in time, a momentary loss of self (ego) to create a work of art with direct soul (super-ego) connection.
I have a great fascination with ancient ruins, sociological progression, beliefs and the elements of humanity, which have remained constant throughout history. Our human nature, our emotions, our feelings, these I believe are the link to peoples past, present and future. In recognition of this I attempt to connect people through my art, to provoke feelings and to portray our connected souls. We are all one in spirit.
"Art wants to pass into life, to lift it; art wants to enchant, to transform, to make life more meaningful or bearable in its own small and mysterious way. The greatest art was probably formed from a profound and terrible silence".
"At best our cry for meaning, for serenity, is answered by a greater silence, the silence that makes us seek higher reconciliation".
Ben Okri, Birds of Heaven
