Literature Josef Albers, Interaction of Color, New Haven – London : Yale University Press, 1963. Jacques Derrida, La vérité en peinture, Paris : Flammarion, 1978. Paul Tanghe, Toeternitoe. Zin, onzin en waanzin van de hedendaagse beeldende kunst, Tielt : Lannoo, 2004. Paul Tanghe, ‘De vele betekenissen van kleur’, plaquette 11 at the exhibition De mystiek van kleur, Machelen-Zulte : Roger Raveelmuseum, 2006. Paul Tanghe, Toeterweltoe. Zin, onzin en waanzin van religie, Tielt : Lannoo, 2008.
The Contemplative Character Paul Tanghe of the Oeuvre
What is contemplation ? What does contemplation have to do with art ? Why do we have good reason to refer to the paintings of Philippe Van Snick as contemplative ? In this essay I will try to formulate answers to these three questions in a succinct manner. The word ‘contemplation’ is derived from the Latin verb contemplari. It refers to a practice of Roman diviners who in preparation of major events demarcated a space (templum) in which to search for divine signs. The practice of hunting for divine signs is found in many cultures. The Aztecs, for example, established their capital city in a desolate, marshy place (today’s Mexico City) because their priests had seen a holy sign there, namely a condor with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus. Templum does not only refer to a demarcated space ; it is also one that is arranged and purified into a void to be filled. The priests, full of anticipation, are watchful all the time, prepared to see (as seers) whenever the signs present themselves. This presumes a sustained attitude marked by great passivity achieved through prior, personal purification. Such purification does not only apply to washing the body, but also to cleansing the mind through disengagement and asceticism. This means : to let go, enlightenment, mortification (‘death of the self’), liberating oneself from pursuits and emotions to open up the way freely, lightly, and without any resistance, in order to be ready for and witness potential revelations. The priests empty themselves to allow for their captivation by what is going on in the mysterious depths of reality. It is no coincidence that the word ‘religion’ is derived from relegere : seeing reality in another, new way. Contemplation presupposes disengagement, but also great passivity. The German mystic Eckhart called this attitude Gelassenheit. Rather than to dejection and despondence (acedia), this concept refers to receptiveness and openness. A projection of concrete objectives or even the articulation of a conception of expectations has a deadly effect on this passivity. Moreover, the revelation of specific signs always comes with an element of surprise. They appear as a revealed miracle and are gratefully experienced as a gift filling the void with unspeakable meanings that differ from the ones anticipated. This passivity stands for waiting, a-wait-and-see approach, the practice of being on guard (‘to be aware’). It presupposes a mode of concentration that excludes nothing. Who waits attentively is not hurried, nor busy with fussing, chatting, worrying, playing games, or odds and ends. Rather than concentration on a specific point such as the centre of a circle, it is about singular attention, a permanently mindful way of looking in hopes of ever seeing something that reveals itself as a gift.
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