RYAN DOWNS
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

We may see images everywhere, but when was the last time we truly understood a piece of legitimate art? Accomplished painter Maureen Drdak intends to answer the question with her lecture on twenty-first century global art. At 7 p.m. tonight, CSUSM’s Arts & Lectures series premieres the “Insanity, Creativity, and Communication: the Digital Deluge and its Challenges for the 21st Century Global Artist,” for free, in Clark 113. The event is a great opportunity for aspiring painters and art enthusiasts to learn more about the nature of contemplative art and its lacking presence in modern society. Most importantly though, guests will learn cases of how the creative processes and relevance of the modern artist may be threatened by the overwhelming affect of digital imagery.

Drdak plans to showcase her many works and explain the significance of historical contemplative practices and their relevance to the modern artist. Her works, like most traditional paintings, require meditation in order for a viewer to enjoy and are a stark contrast to the digital imagery that seems to constantly overwhelm modern senses. “She’s looking at historic practices, contemplative practice, which involves [sic] creating artwork with a very deep focus that leads to a greater understanding of the work,” said Professor Tony Allard, who proposed the lecture after meeting Drdak in Reno.

“What Maureen [Drdak] is emphasizing,” Prof. Allard continued, “is the contemplative practice of paintings in which you experience the work on a much more fundamental level, and you experience the content of that work in a more comprehensive way.”

Drdak emphasizes the necessity for contemplation in art, stressing the point of what the purpose of art is. She does not only present a pretty image to look at, but she uses imagery to convey an emotion, even when the typical American is not always interested in deep contemplative thought. Through understanding meditative paintings, the viewer in turn comes to a deeper understanding of a greater work of art: global human culture.

Drdak plans to speak about the necessity of archetypes in art and their relevance to global cultures, which, until recently in human history, would have never mingled, yet all share similar attitudes and stories spoken through their art. Through the study of all the aforementioned archetypes, we can achieve a better understanding of the similarities we all share. To better understand art, is to better understand what it means to be human.

Photo courtesy of metanexus.net