I Found Mental Repose in These Italian Abstracts

When the mind gets overly fixated on being literal, it can use a break.

Mine does, for sure. And, thanks to the vibrantly rendered island village of Burano, just outside of Venice, I’ve stumbled upon Italian abstracts that do the trick.

As I approached ferreting out a topic for this week’s blog post, my mind told me it needed a short vacation from writing about the logistics and adjustments of living in Italy. I thought, “Well, I’ll just skip a week.” But, then I realized I could speak with photos and not get too mired in words, other than a brief commentary as to why the images in this post give my soul peace and balance. Maybe you’ll relate…

© 2018 Jed Smith

Why do I love these Italian Abstracts?

Perhaps because they’ve been created at the juncture of man’s creation and the hand of time leaving its steady mark. I find these walls, doors, and windows quite astounding in their richness and texture. I have serious doubts as to whether these masterful results could’ve been planned, conceptualized and rendered so purposefully.

Literal objects are participants in these mixed-media creations but, ultimately, the cumulative effect has the ability to transport the viewer outside linear, literal thinking––which is where we spend the lion’s share of our waking hours. For me, a mind spent churning incessantly in analysis, labeling, and problem-solving creates a devil’s playground for burnout.

Simply put, I love the ability of abstracts like these to stump the mind into silence, and leave it swimming in a sea of visual shapes, layers, and textures.

© 2018 Jed Smith

Thank you, Mom, for opening up my eyes to the beauty of abstract art.

Even though my mom, also my lifelong art teacher, has been gone for a few years now, her guidance, and her wise words and admonitions to be open to all forms of art stay with me. She taught me the value of letting emotion and intuition play a stronger part in art. She lived her words, and if I have one regret, it’s that I don’t have one of her own masterful abstract creations.

But, she opened my eyes to all forms of art and that is what really counts.

With that, I shut my mouth and allow you to experience these images for yourself. And, as they did for me, I hope they help you find the pause button for a busy mind.

If you like what you see, you might also enjoy following my Instagram feed at ItalyWise.

© 2018 Jed Smith

© 2018 Jed Smith