November 16th 2020

James Turrell in "Spirituality" (SEGMENT) | Art21 video

(click the image to watch!)

1a: exceeding usual limits : surpassing

b: extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience

Kantian philosophy : being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge

2: being beyond comprehension

3: transcending the universe or material existence-

4: universally applicable or significant

"There was a moment in dance that I called transcendence, and it was the moment where you just felt free. It's like the runner's high, it's what sport's players call 'in the zone', it's that state of feeling most alive."

"The word actually means excelling or surpassing or going beyond the usual limits."

"The word Transcendental has been chosen as a name for the Group because it best expresses its aim, which is to carry painting beyond the appearance of the physical world, through new concepts of space, color, light and design, to imaginative realms that are idealistic and spiritual."

I still don't really... understand this. I've felt what the dancer in the video is talking about, I've felt that with dancing or with playing an instrument. I can sort of understand works to be transcendental, but I feel like that's where I'm stuck. Maybe I'm stuck just because I don't know how to synthesize this information to create a piece.

I have to make something that transcends its form. I have some garbage pieces of things from the risograph which feel transcendental, especially with the way they're all folded. They feel like they already transcend their material of being wax paper. They have the risidual essence of being a part of the risograph process and they're all accordion folded. hmmmmm. But how can I manipulate them and maintain their essence?