The Last Painting or the Portrait of God by Helene Cixous

The essay we recently read was very intriguing to me by the way of comparing art and literature.  Comparing thoughts of writing for the instant and capturing the moment and being able to perform those same processes with writing.  Although, painters have a total advantage in giving you a visual there are ways in which a writer could possible give you strong concrete images.  The problem is no matter how concrete a writer gives you images in their writings words translate differently in each reader's mindset.  An apple to me, might be green, radiate, and healthy, but an apple to you maybe the complete opposite, it might be red, tasteless, and unattractive.  Every readers has their own experiences and there is no solid way of changing that although a painter can enable to see what it is they want you to.

There a few quotes that stuck out to me doing the reading which are "I had made a distinction between what I had called "works of art" and "Works of being".  For me, works of art are works of seduction, works that can be magnificent, works that are really destined to make themselves seen."  I remember discussing this among my group in class with a question.  My question was how do we know if our work is considered a work of art of a work of being?  My knowledge was thinking that everyone would like to consider their work to be a work of art.  How do we know if we are on that level of knowing that our work is destined to  be seen, especially if we are afraid to publish them.  After discussing this with my group I learned that the writer meant works like like Rembrandt which was totally off subject.  My group member informed me that its not about having work that wants to be seen yet if it is personally and good and helpful to you then it would be good, helpful, and grand for others as well.

"This is how I live, this is how I try to write.  The best company for me is she or he who is in touch with the instant, in writing."  That to me is also very powerful.  Sometimes as writers we are caught up in the plotting, planning, and over thinking of things.  We lose sight of the initial thought which was powerful and becomes lifeless by revising before we vised.  I believe free writing is helpful in painting that image.  Letting lose, flying away with the page, and daring to leave those structures backbone.  Like a painter can capture an instant a writer can capture as much as they allow if they attempt to write in the moment. 

I really found this comparison between the jealously of a painter's art work and a writers' very informative.  I mean, I've been to art show displays where the people are wowed by the instant of the captured works of art verses an opening for a book show and all a writer can really do is explain, talk, and read certain parts.  The captured image burns when stuck in the same slot for too long in movie reels, is painting a pretty picture doing the same?  When a great writing can last a lifetime.