When we are most affected by the arts, whether through participation or observation, we experience the sublime…

During these moments, we are not thinking; in fact, we are most empty of our thoughts. All of our attention focuses on the present moment.

Artists and scientists both, that allow themselves to dwell in these moments of mental stillness, often begin to feel a larger interconnection with all things around them—their sense of self begins to fade.

In a very deep sense, creativity and the sublime, through the arts and sometimes through the sciences, act as a gateway towards a depth within ourselves.

- Jeff Lieberman
on Arresting Stillness: A Photographic Art at Integral Life
(click through for the full quote)

by Alex Stoddard

This is amazing. It strikes and makes you feel. What it makes you feel exactly is up for grabs, but the point it, it MOVES!

More (and new gorgeousness) every day here at his Flickr!

“I believe that as artists we all have a certain pool of creative energy that we draw from. For me, I have found that it does not matter what I do with that energy – whether it is drawing, painting, building picture frames, writing music, taking photos, designing corporate branding, writing software, designing logos or creating digital composites – it all comes from the same place – and it doesn’t matter how I use it, it only matters that I do use it.

-Josh Summers

Hear hear!

Add acting to the list for me. I think going to concerts and plays also fits into the mix.

via Eugene at MyModernMet

by Miloza Ma.
More Regen-01 at this blog post.

Fan!

by Zhang Jingna

This one though, is especially poignant because the subject fits in so well with the style.

He looks as if the withering of his physical body has begun… perhaps there’s a mental withering as well? Beautiful!

See more at Gerard Pestarque’s site and Flickr.

by Fred Eerdekens

How cool is this?!
(And yes, I do realize that the title of the post might win the award for the most obvious statement of the century.)

I wonder what the process is like for creating this. Does he work with a light on? (And wouldn’t his head or hands get in the way constantly?) Or is his sense of space and visualization so incredibly tuned that he can snip away and construct with only periodic checks? I love playing with light and shadow.

Check out his site and My Modern Met for even more splendid work.

via Marica at My Modern Metropolis

See more at Gerard Pestarque’s site and Flickr.

via Artistaday.com

via  Madeline’s blog: Circo DellArte: Ispirazione: e Ora Alcune Lampade

(Neither of us know the source/creator of this lamp, unfortunately.)

sewing needle + razor blade +pencil – magnifying glass +oodles of patience = Dalton Ghetti’s PENCIL LEAD sculptures

Dalton Ghetti on his work:

“…But when I tell people how long it takes, that’s when they don’t believe it. That’s what amazes people more, the patience. Because everything nowadays has to be fast, fast, fast.”

Sandy Lefkowitz on Dalton Ghetti:

“When people are passionate and creative and they can produce something unique, what they say to the world is, ‘It’s all possible,’ ” she said. “When something in this chaotic world can make you stop and focus, I think it’s very serious.”

More from Dalton Ghetti:

His current projects include a handsaw and a single rice-grain-sized teardrop for every victim of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“The idea is, as you walk in, you’ll see a huge tear drop far away,” he said. “As you walk up close to it, you’ll see that it’s made up of tiny little ones. So I make one a day. I was watching the whole thing from Sherwood Island State Park, and I broke down and cried all day. I had a vision about doing something about it, and that’s what I came up with. It’ll probably take about 10 years to do it.”

Read more at the NYTimes.

via Amy at MyModernMet.
and Wonderment and Telegraph
(more pictures at the above links)