{"id":742,"date":"2016-12-12T21:37:33","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T02:37:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/?p=742"},"modified":"2016-12-12T21:38:06","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T02:38:06","slug":"actualizing-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2016\/12\/actualizing-truth\/","title":{"rendered":"Actualizing truth"},"content":{"rendered":"

So I’ve been working on refining the “motto” of sorts I wrote about last week<\/a>:\u00a0\u201cCreate what you would like to see in the world, and then make it public.\u201d<\/p>\n

I’ve now whittled it down to:<\/p>\n

“Actualize the truth you want to see in the world.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

The making it public part should go without saying.<\/p>\n

I’m been thinking a lot about truth<\/strong>, with either a big or little “T”, and what the artist has to do with it. \u00a0I could have stated “Create<\/strong><\/em> the truth you want to see in the world,” but maybe this too strongly implies that anyone can create their own truth. Not so. \u00a0Truth is a funny thing.<\/p>\n

In a recent Facebook discussion, I wrote:<\/p>\n

My take on it is, in brief, as follows: Knowledge (and truth) is a social construction — and socially constructed not only within human society but also between human societies and the wider environment. Our technologies are isolating and separating\u00a0us from each other and from the natural environment. Therefore knowledge and truth are fracturing, with different groups and even different individuals seeing reality in radically different ways, and without any kind of grounding feedback from nature. The remedy? Art certainly, but exactly how, I’m not sure — but it has do with communication and real sharing, and lately I’ve been thinking it has to do with creating, visualizing the positive I want to see in the world and sharing that vision with others.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In short, individuals don’t create truth, communities or societies create truth<\/strong>. This is conventional truth<\/strong>, but truth nonetheless. \u00a0And it comes about through communication, through dialog.<\/p>\n

So yes, creation is involved in truth, but “actualize”<\/strong> seems such a richer word.<\/p>\n

By actualize I mean make actual, make real in the here and now, something that wouldn’t be without [human] action.<\/p>\n

What about absolute truth<\/strong> (Truth with a big T)? Well, even more, the artist actualizes it, rather than creating it. But perhaps it’s the case, as at least one ancient philosopher<\/a> suggested: The absolute truth is that there is no absolute truth.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As an artist, I could very well have written “Actualize beauty.”<\/strong> But while there is always something “true” about beauty, the truth is not always [conventionally] beautiful, or pleasing: there are inconvenient truths, unpleasant truths, there is truth speaking to power, and speaking against the possibly baseless truths held dear by other communities or individuals (I mean truths constructed without<\/em> communication and dialog with one’s selves, one’s neighbors, one’s environment). \u00a0The truth is: there is injustice in the world, the truth is: we fall well short of our ideals. \u00a0These truths also the artist must actualize. \u00a0It’s not all beauty and light, as I might have implied in my Facebook post.<\/p>\n

So there you have it. Actualize the truth you want to see in the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And do that by seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling life — and speaking. Singing, even.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
“December Rose,” digital photograph, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So I’ve been working on refining the “motto” of sorts I wrote about last week:\u00a0\u201cCreate what you would like to see in the world, and then make it public.\u201d I’ve now whittled it down to: “Actualize the truth you want to see in the world.” The making it public part should go without saying. I’m […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[89],"tags":[99,103,100,98,52,102,101],"class_list":["post-742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-thoughts-and-ideas","tag-artists-statement","tag-december","tag-flowers","tag-philosophy","tag-photography","tag-rose","tag-truth"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5zpKF-bY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":282,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/04\/new-etsy-listings-are-up-tonight\/","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":0},"title":"New Etsy listings are up tonight!","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"April 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I've added several pieces to my \"Figureworks\" collection in my Etsy store: works featuring the human form. First up is an interesting painting I created mid-2010 (it seems like yesterday) titled \"Lovesick Android.\" Lovesick Android was composed with acrylic paint on wood panel. \u00a0The gold and silver acrylic paints really\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"Lovesick Android\", acrylic on panel, 10Hx8W\", 2010. ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/A20100713-v2-1-819x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/A20100713-v2-1-819x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/A20100713-v2-1-819x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":305,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/04\/project-365\/","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":1},"title":"Project: 365","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"April 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in October, I started a new, year-long project to document my ongoing\u00a0practice of visual exploration. \u00a0I think of this exploration\u00a0as\u00a0central to the work of the artist. \u00a0I'm calling the project simply \"365\" and the end result (to the extent that a project like this ever ends) will be 365\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1069,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2021\/09\/common-grave-a-painting-project-continued\/","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":2},"title":"Common Grave: A Painting Project – continued","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"September 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Part II: The Composition and the Process As I mentioned in my previous post, a 'cult of devotion' developed around the skulls and bones found in the Fontanelle cemetery. It is very much a religious, or at least 'cultic' site. And why not? Why shouldn't all these remains, representing the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1011,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2020\/11\/artsgowanus-atlantic-artwalk-a-big-success\/","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":3},"title":"ArtsGowanus Atlantic Artwalk a Big Success!","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"November 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"ArtsGowanus partnered with the Atlantic Avenue BID to create a safe, socially distanced art venue along the length of Atlantic Avenue. I was pleased to be able participate. I've uploaded some selected photos from opening day (October 17, 2020) to my Flickr photostream. Enjoy!","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Common Grave at Atlantic Artwork","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Artwalk-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Artwalk-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Artwalk-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Artwalk-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Artwalk-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1409,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2025\/12\/the-futures-so-bright-end-of-year-art-news\/","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":4},"title":"The future\u2019s so bright\u2026 ! (end of year Art News)","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"December 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Thanks to everyone who visited me at Gowanus Open Studios back in October! As I announced then, it was my final appearance in Gowanus (barring some cataclysmic rearrangement of the universe); all of my art and art-making apparatus have been successfully relocated to my new home in Kingston, New York.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Studio Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Studio Notes","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/studio-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/xmas-2025-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/xmas-2025-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/xmas-2025-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/xmas-2025-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/xmas-2025-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/xmas-2025-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":165,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/03\/featured-painting-of-the-week-skandha-3-torso-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":742,"position":5},"title":"Featured painting of the week: Skandha 3 (Torso 3)","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"March 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This week's featured painting is Skandha 3 (Torso 3), a figurative piece I created late in 2013. \u00a0I mentioned my figurative work earlier in the week in my post about new Etsy listings. \u00a0This week's featured oil painting is among the larger figurative works I've done and this one explores\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/A201300914-2.jpg?fit=1000%2C998&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/A201300914-2.jpg?fit=1000%2C998&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/A201300914-2.jpg?fit=1000%2C998&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/A201300914-2.jpg?fit=1000%2C998&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=742"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":746,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/742\/revisions\/746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}