Member-only story
The Same Consciousness
We stopped in front of a bust of a woman. My reaction was typical. “That’s nice,” I thought. And, “It’s not very pretty.” (I am now mortified at the thought that I used to look at art like a philanderer looks at women.) But this time things would be different, because with Luc guiding us, we really *stopped*.
We stood before this bust, and he began prodding us with questions. What did we see? A woman. How was she dressed? She was wearing something elegant, delicate, and silky. What else? Her hair was neatly arranged, but tendrils were falling down. How was she posed? She was looking over her shoulder, poised, expectant. Where was she looking? Who knows, but at something…or, at someone? What else did we notice? Her dress was falling from her shoulder…emphasizing a sensual quality…
… This was not just a bust of a woman. This was a bust of a particular kind of woman, in a particular kind of moment. Ultimately, after a good half an hour of observation and discussion, we decided that this was an image of a woman glimpsing her lover across the room.
Luc then asked a simple question. “When have you experienced a moment like this?”
And after only a brief pause of contemplation, I was moved to tears.
— From ‘Touching the Art’
*
