In Search of a Context

It seems that I am displaying an unusual behavior, but not one unnatural. There may be precedents in the Charismatic Christian community with their physical reactions to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Also spiritual possession ritually practiced in traditional Caribbean and other cultures may hold some insight. And religious stories of rapture and visitation in European historical mythology may have some similarities. I do not make a claim to a connection to a spiritual power regardless of what I have experienced in my life. But I can say that I am having a very profound response to something the nature of which I cannot explain and that this response is one that is deeply human.

I have a background in art, in the techniques and in critical and conceptual analysis. I am an artist and so I put this experience in a context of art. Particularly I can say this because the behavior comes out the strongest and in fact revealed itself under the efforts of mark making. And although I do make pictures and want to investigate the images that come about I cannot consider that image making is the central purpose for what I do. However in contemporary art this poses no problem. So I assert that my investigation is within an art context although this investigation may well point to other aspects of culture and belief.

The spiritual context seems to hold great weight in its relevance to my uncommon behavior and it is one I will not discount due to the cultural authority it possesses. However I will not look for explanations that present general interpretations of what I am experiencing. Instead I will investigate various contexts as an inquiry to see what can be revealed or uncovered. And this I will attempt to present through my efforts in conceiving and fabricating events and artifacts as an artist in a contemporary world.

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