Let Go of the Ego

Fig. 1. Marshall Arisman, Rainbow Runners, 2016, oil on canvas, 38 x 62 in., (https://marshallarisman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ma_hero_940x380.jpg).

Putting a stigma on an artist could reveal the eyes of an unskilled character. In art, there is balance, the yin and yang often needed to formulate a perfect composition. On the surface and depth of Marshall Arisman’s work lies many symbolic messages, blurred footprints of stories hidden within the stroke of hues. Revealing the virtue of beauty at times, requires entering the cavernous depth of the soul. Afterall, it is easier to peer in the abyss of hell when you’re not afraid of the shadow of death. Yes, skill can carry an artist where they sail across the sky, but letting go of the ego is where the missing piece of heaven flows, into the shift of consciousness where you become true to art. [1]

Marshall Arisman, Sacred Monkey in Water, Oil on Canvas, (https://marshallarisman.com/paintings/sacred-monkeys/#foobox-1/4/sacred_monkeys-5.jpg).

  While the obsession of an artist usually arises from being drawn to their interesting work of art. Often the composition speaks in an emotional or inspiring way, pushing you into the fantasy on the canvas or onward to the pursuit of a dream. Capturing the life and portfolio of Marshall Arisman resembles looking through the lens of a mechanical camera where the speed of the shutter quickly passes through each frame. The aperture lets in a certain amount of light for the iris of your eye to determine the exposure of the image. In this same manner, Arisman was an artist that created illustration concepts just enough to reveal relevant messages of what was happening in our world. The length of time spent in the light changes an image, just as Arisman’s connections of life experiences transformed, and balanced the psychological implications displayed in his work. The spotlight on Marshall Arisman shines greatly on his encounters, a labyrinth involving his mind, creativity, and connections that quietly guided much of his artistic decisions.

[1] Marshall Arisman, "Stories Behind the Art," Vimeo, https://vimeo.com/user1476493. 31:22.