SITTING IN A KALEIDOSCOPE



Photo from inside the kaleidoscope by Marianne M. Smith



Yesterday I had a shocking and awesome experience:  I sat in a kaleidoscope!  No, that is NOT a typo.  I sat IN, not ON a kaleidoscope.  It was a curious and fascinating happening.

I’m sharing this with you because it has completely changed my thinking.  Sometimes a new experience equals a new perspective, and in this case?  Well, boy howdy!

I need to thank Matt Thomas, BFA student exhibiting and getting ready to graduate from TTU/Appalachian Center for Craft.  I’m doing some marketing work there and one of the joys of being on site is encountering art in a personal way while walking through the buildings.  Matt created this “sit in” kaleidoscope, along with some of the other delights you see in my photo below.




Matt Thomas Exhibition, kaleidoscope at left.  Photo by Marianne M. Smith

 

Merriam-Webster defines kaleidoscope as “a succession of changing phases or actions.”  In its simplest form, a kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors with a changing perspective.

My experience was that sitting in Matt’s kaleidoscope made me think about old things in a new way.  I’m in a phase of my life where I’m looking for creative solutions to old problems, and it was like I was zapped from the heavens.



Photo by Marianne M. Smith



I hope that you have experienced art this way, or that you will very soon.  (If you’re anywhere near Smithville, TN, Matt’s exhibit will be up until December 12^th at Appalachian Center for Craft.)

One thing I loved about Matt’s exhibit was the concept of art giving back.   The gumball machine delivered time capsules, and the floating dog delivered humor and the element of surprise. The exhibit was formally themed as Encapsulation.  It seems art can enclose as well as open.  Of course, my take on all this is certainly open to your interpretation.




Photo by Marianne M. Smith



But I’d like to challenge you.  Go out this week and experience some art first-hand.  You might just have a life-altering experience like I did.  At the least, you’ll gain a new perspective, and perhaps, a fresher way of thinking.  And that, my friends, can bring about some interesting shifts.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how you experience art.  Please feel free to leave a comment.  And until they drag me out of the building, you can find me sitting in the kaleidoscope!

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com