Section Report No: 04 winter 2013/2014 Dear Colleagues all over the world, In the Visual Art Section our Anthroposophy gives us many research takes us into the realm of instructions and methods for the will--will in man and will in the meditation that help us explore the world. When doing such research night consciousness. It is a path of we can refer to what Rudolf Steiner 'double consciousness': to be asleep tells us again and again: "if you while you create your work and in want to know yourself, look into the the same time to wake up in your world; if you want to know the consciousness. Can I see and world, look into youself." With this understand what my hand is doing in mind, we can ask: Where do I see while it is working? Can I be aware will in the world? How can I know of this without it inhibiting my my own will? activity? Can I perceive what will In principle, no one actually knows occur at the same time as it arises the will as it hides in the sleeping through my hands? realm of the human being, in the When I try this, I discover that it is unconscious part of our nature. The hardly possible to do. Either I 'm too best way to know the will is in awake in the doing, and then I get reviewing our life. When I see where stuck, or I am too asleep in knowing my limbs have led me, then I can and cannot be conscious. It is a see what I have willed because I continuous circle. But in the few have done it! And after prolonged moments when we are blessed to observation it can happen that experience this a little, it is my something arises that I can experience that the light in my recognize as a characteristic style, studio changes, my sense of space something that apparently belongs and time change, and I feel part of a to me. Everyone has a unique bigger process than normally. Such character to his/her will, a experiences are among the fruits of 'handwriting'. And only when you researching the will. I hope we can die can you totally know what you continue to explore this subject for have willed in life, what you have some time. done. The Section Council has been With my head I can hardly know strengthened in its work by our new what I want, I have to trust that my Section Leader, Marianne Schubert. limbs know it. But if I want to Even though Marianne does not observe and know my will I must begin officially until March 2014, it enter into the realm of the is gratifying that we have begun to unconscious, I must wake up where work together in this transitional I am sleeping. How am I to period. understand this? How am I to do We have come to a magnificent this? proposal for our Ascension V i s u a l A r t S e c t i o n G O E T H E A N U M conference that will take place from attending a conference is May 29 to June 1, 2014. The theme challenging for many, we hope to will be: The Will in Connection with raise funds so we can offer financial Life and Death. This subject has assistance to younger colleagues to already been prepared through our help them come to Dornach. November conference. In addition, Dear colleagues, as we approach we are asking, how can we reach the end of 2013, we can ponder all the younger generation and include that we have achieved this year, as them as well? For this reason, we well as that which we were not able have already approached some to do. From this we can find joy in a younger colleagues to join us in in sense of purpose for all there is to our preparations in hope that we do in 2014. can develop a program that is The Section Council wishes you all a interesting for both younger and good and happy New Year. May the older colleagues. good spirits accompany you in your For our May 2014 conference, we art work and in your life. propose that each older colleague On behalf of the Section Council, I bring with him/her a younger wish you health and joy! colleague under 35 - an artist, an art student, an interested person. Rik ten Cate Because we know the cost of Interview of Marianne Schubert As part of the conference for members of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum this past November, Marianne Schubert introduced herself by sharing her life-journey as it has unfolded up to her assuming the leadership of the Art Section in March 2014. Marianne studied architecture in Darmstadt, landscape-planning in Kassel and landscape-ecology for one year in Vienna. A brief overview of her professional training makes it clear that she has a deep interest in the weaving together of people, architecture, and their place in the landscape, and that she experiences architecture as a form of social art. Marianne brings to the tasks of the Art Section both expereince and a natural disposition to build in service of others. Rather than a personal agenda to implement, she V i s u a l A r t S e c t i o n G O E T H E A N U M aspires to build an organizational order to share their views on structure in which the different art subjects like artistic perception and impulses arising from anthropo- finding a common language for sophy can flourish. discussing the creative process. Marianne met anthroposophy when Marianne would like to bring more she was 28 years old, after which life and developmental oppor- she attended the Waldorf teacher tunities around the exhibitions at training in Mannheim, followed by a the Goetheanum by offering year of science study in Dornach, as supporting programs like practical well as courses in biography and workshops and discussion groups. mediation. All of this has prepared After her year of scientific studies in her to better understand human Dornach, Marianne remained there development and the diversity of for 11 years with the task of worldviews as a basis for giving landscape planning around the equal standing to the different Goetheanum. Thus, she feels at anthroposophical art streams as home in Dornach, and knowing the they manifest in the life of the Art people and their ways of working, Section. Marianne would like to find she expects she will be able to a solution for how all active readily integrate into the life of the anthroposophical artists can work Goetheanum. It is her intention to together by building a sense of carry out her work with the greatest community founded on shared possible transparency. She hopes to questions rather than ready-made create a place at the Goetheanum answers. She hopes to build liviing where all members of the Art networks of artists from all parts of Section will feel welcome to the world who would collaborate exchange their views and around specific areas of interest. collaborate together. Communication between the Marianne sincerely invites everyone different art schools is important to to join her in the future shaping of her. She hopes to foster open the Art Section. dialogue between the various anthroposophiccal art trainings in (C. Gerges) Abridged Version of two Presentations from the November Conference Fritz Wessling TRANSFORMING A PLACE experience them: we are having an What makes a place? On what levels effect do we work when we design and on all beings that belong to this build something, p.ex. a new house? place, especially the elementals that In fact, we are not only changing are rooted here. Some are physical realities, or people’s embedded in the cosmic and local sensations and feelings as they V i s u a l A r t S e c t i o n G O E T H E A N U M context in a stable way, led by young people had left a very higher beings. Others are very open positive trace, and the elementals to influences; human acts easily were grateful - or at least that was imprint themselves on them and what I experienced. thus become a lasting presence in that place, through these beings. I The second experience has kept me suppose we all have experienced busy for over three years and is still this: some places have a strong not over. Amongst other tasks, I am spiritual mood from the past, even if a part-time coworker in Casa de the spiritual work has ceased since. Santa Isabel, a therapeutic Other places have a disturbing or community for people with special traumatic presence; some needs, in Portugal, and thus the horrendous crime or disaster may architect in charge of the building have happened there, and it lives on projects. In October 2010, one of in the haunting, even demonic, our houses burned down, a wooden elementals of the place, perhaps for prefab built in 1983, the first home decades or more. Many in-between of applied anthroposophy work in shades and qualities are possible, our country. Destruction was this is not black and white. complete, the cause remains unknown, and two people died. How can you work with this more consciously? I have no theories to What can one do, how to decide the offer, and would rather share two next steps at any moment? No one concrete experiences I had.