Waking, Walking, Singing, in the Next Dimension? 1979

Curator: Morris Graves created this intriguing gouache and ink work in 1979. It's titled "Waking, Walking, Singing, in the Next Dimension?" Editor: It’s immediately dreamlike. That pastel palette—pale pinks, peaches, lavenders—gives the entire piece an ethereal quality. The layering, too. Are those birds suspended in these almost cellular looking forms? Curator: Indeed. The repetition of the bird motif trapped in circular vortexes creates a cyclical feel to it, which reinforces Graves’ fascination with transcendentalism and Zen Buddhism, prominent influences visible in Pacific Northwest art scene during the mid-20th century. Editor: Note also how Graves contrasts sharp linearity, for example in the construction of the bird figures, with soft gradations, particularly in the overall shading of the background. What are we to make of these birds progressing through a sequence of encapsulated stages? Curator: Some art historians propose the sequence might represent different planes of existence. Each stage embodies varied aspects of being such as, birth or incubation to full realization in what the artist has named as another dimension. Editor: I find the suggestion intriguing and it invites speculation about human transition—like a symbolist exploration of reincarnation that emphasizes stages of progression rather than definite finalities. How much can we perceive regarding human experiences inside frameworks presented through these gentle contours, without strict symbolic pronouncements but rather fluid invitations? Curator: Exactly. There’s a lack of definitive conclusion. It doesn't offer easy answers about life's trajectory; rather evokes consideration about one’s spiritual position when looking from a lens. It offers no true ending! Editor: That ambiguity certainly reflects the time the artwork was conceived—perhaps also a visual metaphor capturing zeitgeist through the socio-political transitions when it was originally framed as social revolution! I’ll be thinking about this one long after we've moved on. Curator: I concur! I leave here contemplative regarding cycles, dimension states through symbolism!