I have long believed that the power of art lies in its ability to raise important questions. Art that raises questions aids introspection, both personal and social, and can move us forward in our critical thinking. And critical thinking has never been more important in our society than right now!

I recently reread a good book on my shelf that has gathered dust for some time. In Warren Berger’s book, The Book of Beautiful Questions the “questionologist” asserts that good questions can be catalysts and create forward movement.  They can be transforming and life changing.  Questions can surprise, disturb, excite, inspire, and nudge us.  They can act as a lighthouse that illuminates where we need to go next.

When I stand in front of a blank white canvas ready to start a new piece, it is always time to wrestle with important questions. “Who will this piece say that I am?  Does it surprise, disturb, excite, inspire or nudge?  How will this piece help me relate to others? Who will this piece speak to? Will it speak to the already joyful, stable and healthy?  Or will it speak to those who may be  broken, fearful, doubting, oppressed, marginalized?”  

As artists, our creative call is to pay attention, to notice, to listen for the questions at work within us, among us, around us in the dailiness of our lives. For me personally, my creative call is to produce art that inquires. And the inquiry starts as soon as a new piece is conceived. When a new blank white canvas confronts me, daring me to make that first mark, I pause and inquire:

How will this piece add to the collective worldview that I envision?  

What questions will this piece ask? What invitation does it issue to seekers?

What is drawing or attracting me?  What is grabbing my soul?

What am I resisting and why?

The world feels a bit fragile today, full of collective searching. This state of yearning makes asking the right questions important. It is also important to craft our artistic inquiry with the right questions. Perhaps we need less focus on what is wrong with our world. Perhaps we need less focus on how we can fix it and , instead, begin with a different question:

What does the world we want to live in look like?

If we can imagine that world that we would want to live in, we can then dare to live out that question with fresh creative ideas, with tenderness and compassion for others. If we can imagine that world, we can paint it, sing it, dance it, express it! We can bring it to life for others through art.

 May we continue to contemplate important questions, alone in front of the introspection of an easel and out loud in healthy community debate.  And may we pursue artistic inquiry as a sacred invitation to learn and grow together in unity for our world.

As Above, So Below, 2023

This is a detail of an oil on canvas and micron pen sculptural collage. The inspiration is a school of jellyfish drifting off the Dry Tortugas, between Key West and Cuba that I saw while scuba diving. They’re mesmerizing to watch, as they gracefully drift and gently pulse through the water, with tentacles wafting behind. Although they are fragile, they are also strong, efficient swimmers with effective defense mechanisms. This piece asks how we can embrace both the soft and the powerful aspects of ourselves to live gracefully. This piece is three-dimensional and sculptural, wrapping around three sides of the canvas.

Available at https://BarbaraWentzellJaquith.com