Incarnation?

Posted on by Live & Learn

Sculptures by Jose Cobo that were part of an installation titled “Incarnation.”

I read the background notes prepared by the artist here.  Still don’t get it.

Mystified, mesmerized and looking for a helping hand to explain…

Notes:

  • Source: 3 Quarks Daily.
  • Inspired by: I believe that the justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations. The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity. ~ Glenn Gould, quoted in “Glenn Gould: Musical Individualist” (via Beth @ Alive on All Channels)

53 thoughts on “Incarnation?”

  1. I read them too and was lost quite early on. to me, it looks like they are testing the boundaries, realizing limits, and trying to go beyond. both then, I’m not the artist and there is clearly. more thought put into it than that.

  2. I read the ‘here’…. That’s a heck of a lot of words….. All I see is INCARNATION and children’s sculptures and they make – in all their undeniable beauty and perfection – my heart heavy and troubled.
    I prefer to go with the Glenn Gould quote (that was a master post by Beth) and try to see the Wonder and Serenity in all things.

      1. And I feel with the political situation being what it is, in your country, the message is at its best very, very odd. But of course the artist has no fault in this; I mean WHO would have thought all of this even possible?!

          1. Yes, and that’s what’s so sad about it – it was in 2012 and today you couldn’t even do such a thing w/o being totally insensitive and cruel even. What a pity, as the artist is really awesome (apart from writing in a way nobody understands)

      1. My problem is that I’m conflating the imagery from the words with the words in my head about the flippin’ border wall…a child on one side, a parent on the other. I’m sorry if I’m being political – and I understand that others may not agree with me (so if anyone is reading this, no need to throw stones). I’m just so shaken by this current situation. I’m sure I’m not alone by noting that if the US hadn’t finally let my mom in, I wouldn’t be here…

          1. Thank you Sawsan! And after re-reading the artist’s intent (and still not getting it) – I end up where I began. The wall is existential, the children are real, they’re young enough so that their efforts appear parallel as opposed to joint. And here I go again – the wall, the wall, the wall – and the desperation of Sisyphus.

          2. It is a wall that splits every decent human being’s heart in half!
            I don’t get his explanation either. But the helplessness of the faceless sculptures took me to the wall.

          8. That’s why I didn’t go *there*. And thank you. I’m probably way our in left field but its oh so much nicer there…

  5. I think reading about it confused me more, quite frankly.
    I wonder if seeing it “live” would give us more a sense of what he means.
    To me, it feels like children at play, oblivious to the adults watching from a distance, free to be themselves. But what do I know?

  6. I wish I didn’t read his explanation! I hope he’s not a writer.

    Putting the thought of the wall aside, one word comes to mind. “Crude”, this word has been on my mind for days!

    Children in crude years, until they’re incarnated. Which is making me wish I stayed crude.

  9. I love this exhibit! Setting aside politics and obvious religious connotations, and adding the definition: “a living being embodying… a spirit…assumption of human form or nature.” the work makes sense to me…I see the awe of curiosity and discovery through the eyes of children.

    Thank you for finding this lovely work. I especially love the ones on the wall…I feel like a young mom, hovering over my wee ones as they venture into their new “worlds’

  12. My first impression without reading the artists words were how little consideration I gave my monitors (adults) when I was in my own environment (at play).
    And I was completely oblivious to how much attention they were paying to me.
    Since I was faced away, and heavily involved with what I was doing in the world, I had no idea the enormity of attention being paid to me.
    Of course it was only after becoming a parent that this became obvious, and I didn’t have to wonder any more how it was that my parents seemed to know what I was doing before I was doing it.
    Even though I was faced away, right?
    That was my impression, and I don’t know if the artists words match up to this or not.

  14. I’ve come to the conclusion that, sometimes, art is its own thing. I love these little bodies and heads — beautifully done! — but none of the children are interacting, and that scares me in this harsh detain-y and cold Facebook-y time. (Or, perhaps the problem is simply that I am not Spanish!)

  17. Funny how we need to understand so we can recognize genius!
    The different levels of existence represented by images of children in different groups, created from the perspective of an adult, together with the merging of walls and floors… is out with my ken too. 😉

    1. Understanding. And the thirst for it. Reminds me of:

      “In my small way, I preserved and cataloged, and dipped into the vast ocean of learning that awaited, knowing all the time that the life of one man was insufficient for even the smallest part of the wonders that lay within. It is cruel that we are granted the desire to know, but denied the time to do so properly. We all die frustrated; it is the greatest lesson we have to learn.”

      – Iain Pears, An Instance of the Fingerpost (Berkley, March 1, 1999)

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