PinkedIn

Looking at a flock of pigeons pecking at the grains people scatter for them each morning, I noticed that one of them white except for a splatter of black dots on its wings.

I wondered, are pigeons racist? Do they differentiate between others of their kind based on colour? Can they even perceive colour and would it make a difference if they could?
Did the white bird feel inferior or lonely? Did he feel overwhelmed by the majority of grey? Did hiding his white spots ever cross his mind? Were they ever a cause of shame?

They seemed so unanimous in their behaviour. All settling down and pecking on the grains and then lifting up in flight together.

Who was I then to differentiate on colour? Was I just superimposing my own distorted perception of race and colour as criteria for acceptance on their not so evolved intelligence and social functioning, what Freud would term as 'projection'?

...And then they lifted into the sky together in one harmonious flight, leaving me to my musing.

It's amazing how much today's contemporary art is influenced by the cave paintings of the prehistoric man, thousands of years ago.


Paintings of that era from the Neolithic age onwards are full of animals which look powerful and life like. They have a strong line and outline and are filled in with either a block colour or are sometimes shaded. The lines are done in strong charcoal that was the leftover burnt stick from the fire and the fill in colour was dull and natural, made of mud and natural pigments.




They painted their pictures in the interiors of the cave which were dark and difficult to get into. This suggests that they did not have them for decorative purposes or paint for pleasure otherwise they would have painted near the entrance where the paintings could be seen.



We think the pictures were for a hunting magic because some animals have sticks or spears in them. There are also many paintings of hunting scenes and generally, human figures appear only in hunting positions. They probably believed that if they painted an animal and 'killed' it by jabbing spears and knives into them they would be more successful in hunting.

They therefore painted only for a one time purpose, therefore one on top of the other, to save space. It is remarkable that they would take so much paint it only for a one time use but they probably believed that the more real it looked, the more successful they'd be.



These paintings have much variety probably because they depended on what the artist saw, knew and felt and how much the artist saw, knew and felt.




TODAY

Animals like horses, bulls and cows seem to have taken the art world by storm and one distinct feature of most of the animal works of prominent artists is, they have a strong definite line. This gives depth and strength to their animals.

Also, in the animal paintings of today's masters, there is movement like we see in the hunting or migrating scenes of the cave paintings.

Mother always said, "Aim for the sky and you will reach the tree top." But how can the tree top satisfy me, when I have set my sight on the sky? The tree top is not the destination. It is just a stop on the journey to the sky…on the journey to perfection…on the journey to be the best. Is perfection my destination? Do I stop when I am the best?

The sky is perfection…the unreachable, unattainable goal. Being the best is when we have achieved that state of perfection and is not just being better than the rest. But in striving to reach this illusionary aim, in journeying endlessly to touch the unending sky, we walk along the path of 'betterment'.

And though we may not touch the sky, reach perfection or be the best, we are better than we were yesterday and will be better than we are today. And it is this tireless ambition to reach this illusionary perfection that fuels this constant state of improvement. And in this improvement is where our satisfaction lies…the satisfaction that is neither found in reaching the tree top nor in touching the sky.



"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!"
                                         -Rudyard Kipling

Corruption as I see it...

(This is with reference to the anti-corruption movt. in India)

We are all responsible for corruption. It is not only the case with politicians. For eg. We broke the signal; we bribed the traffic policeman to let us go. But the traffic policeman's livelihood depends on corruption. His family is fed by the bribes he takes as his salary is inadequate.

Corruption runs a major part of our country and has become an integral part of our lives. With its eradication will come major social, political and economic changes. But the question is, are we ready for that change? We may say yes in the vigour of the moment but have we really thought out the consequences? Or are we blindly following the movement as our herd mentality coaxes us to?

Many of us will send text messages, light candles, post on Facebook etc. for the support of this anti-corruption movt. but will go out the next day and return to our habit of greasing palms. There is not a supporter in this campaign including you and me who is completely non-corrupt.

This reminds me of the instance in the Bible where a woman is caught committing adultery and according to the law she must be stoned to death. When Christ is asked whether she should be stoned or forgiven against the law, he writes on the ground, 'Let he who has not sinned throw the first stone.'

We have all sinned against the govt. By evading taxes, paying underhand money etc. Now we question whether we have the right to throw stones at the govt. and encourage others to do the same.

(This poem is inspired by the fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast)

The first blush of a red rose
upon a snow white cheek,
bloomed forth in the first light of spring;
a promise to keep.

The last rose that lay crushed and withered
beneath the white snowy frost and sleet,
blossomed once more in the joy of spring;
in the heart of a beast.