The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations
These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders
To create** without putting names and tags, as when one puts a name, describes the artwork, then the spirit and the magic of it disappears. It takes the form of the name given.
The less one wants to explain it, the more one sees the spirit, the original energy of the artwork**, but when one explains it, then one regards it as a subject, it materializes…..There is room for both, labelling and not labelling, explaining and not explaining in creating from that space, where named and not named exist and express together, without negating each other, allows the artwork to live, keep it’s depth, change, yet remain the same ….with the viewer.
* I am using Translation by Derek Lin as examples of verses, but there are many different translations with different nuances and sensibilities of the translators. I try to read as many translations as possible to put my own feeling of it….that’s the best that can be done anyway.
**Art and creating are interchangeable with life and living.
My previous blog that relate to this; “Without Words”
Please leave comments and your own interpretations.