Since the beginning of my Sins and virtues concept I have been striving to sum up the message which I am attempting to achieve in a concise manner.
After writing what became a large essay on the subject, I decided a different approach was needed to explain my motives.
Yet again I find myself returning to that great mind which I respect so deeply, Oscar Wilde.
'There is no sin except stupidity.'
Oscar Wilde
Within my project I am attempting to provoke consideration by the viewer of their own moral code, how it was developed, how they respect or break it on a daily basis.
Personally, I have had to consider and develop my own moral code built on knowledge, experience and philosophy as I do not follow a faith.
How relevant are the traditional concepts of sin and virtue in modern society?
I am not attempting to challenge anybodies faith or be offensive, I would just like to encourage people to reason and to deeply and actively consider their own morals, without blindly accepting a set of rules.
I personally find a great joy in philosphy and contemplating everything and anything in its most minute detail. There are certain Sins for example which I do not necessarily consider unnatural, or bad, such as lust, a simple primal urge which is natural and found in every species of animal, and pride, to me the concept that being proud of a fellow person is sinful and something to be ashamed of is utterly proposterous. I enjoy considering these key ideals, even though I am not a Christian, naturally we encounter these elements every day in society. So in short, I merely wish for people to take more time and consideration over life itself, what it means to them and how they wish to be an individual, not a person so week willed they will follow anything set before them without question. Challenge the world around you and question everything, it can only serve to enrich your life.
I suppose my reasoning to use the Language of Flowers to express this also ties in with my concept. The language, as I have mentioned before, is largely in disue, meaning that without a keen interest in why each element has been chosen the viewer will most likely be oblivious to my messages. I revel in this attention to detail, it is something I enjoy doing myself, questioning each tiny detail and why it is there, often surprising and enjoyable results can come from really studying and indulging in something.
So that rather sums up my thinking behind my concept. Quite honestly its so complex its taken me a while to finally put it into something which makes any level of sense to anyone but me. I hope no one is too offended, Im not attempting to offend anyone!
Interesting blog, but you've assumed the wrong definition for 'pride' - in relation to the Catholic doctrine of sin then read this:
ReplyDeleteMain article: Pride
Pride (Latin, superbia), or hubris, is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and the source of the others. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). Dante's definition was "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbour." In perhaps the best-known example, the story of Lucifer, pride (his desire to compete with God) was what caused his fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan. In Dante's Divine Comedy, the penitents were forced to walk with stone slabs bearing down on their backs to induce feelings of humility.
Btw, I found your blog because somewhere on it you have a pic of Rodney Matthews, wonderful artist. All the best, John.