Beauty

with words, wonder · 9 hours ago · discuss

The feeling of fresh air after having been in an art gallery — the feeling of the natural light after being in a room without windows and also a room with many windows, windows through time and to the feeling of home and to impressions of Nature — to the sea and the sky, the Earth and the falling moon. It was not until about half-way through my experience in the art gallery that I visited today that I realised that the space I was in was probably the first art gallery I visited. Two memories came flooding back: one where I went to the gallery with family, where I left in awe of my cousin’s drawing skills, and another where we went on a school trip to see the gallery. My memories of both are hazy, but they still exist. I remembered the white walls and the wooden floors. The arrangement of the space was different today than it was back then; I recall there being seats in the middle of the gallery room on prior visits, but today there were sculptures. Although the art had me transfixed for so much of my time in the room – I was in awe of seeing an abstract still life painting, a style I have never seen before, and in awe of seeing a wave that reminded me both of Yin and Yang and also of leaves (how can a wave on the sea look like trees? – how brilliant the artist) – I carried with me the reverberations of first moments in the space. This is part of my history of art. Even though I don’t remember any paintings on the walls from when I visited the museum as a child, I remember the space. The space had no impact on me at the time, and didn't foster a love of art. But it is still part of my history. This thought would stay with me. Walking around more, I felt the presence around me of what would become enduring attributes in my life. Nature surrounds me. I love Nature. The sound of water from the river that flows through this place reminded me that falling water is my favourite sound. The presence of cafes made me think about all the times I have spent in cafes. The presence of heritage spaces made me think that even though I didn’t understand the word “heritage” as a child, now I have newfound appreciation for it, enough to say that it may have taken me years to understand the word, but now that I do I have the perspective to say the concept has great meaning and significance here. Today, I am surrounded by influences that helped make me, even if I didn’t realise it at the time. And all the places I have been, too, have influenced me in their own ways. Today I saw art in a way I have never seen it before. I saw what Scottish art is and can be. I saw surrounding grasses and falling moons and the elements and more. I saw beauty in the room that I first visited at least ten years ago.