Essays
Submitted by pjo on Wed, 08/22/2012 - 02:48An essay is the literary equivalent of quick silver with its seemingly only restricting form being a basis in relative truth. Despite its truthful aspirations the difficulties inherent in personal honesty and tainted or distorted memories are widely acknowledged. This does not hinder their effectiveness, indeed it enhances it by enabling us to see through the authors point of view. The intended purpose seems to be more the exploration of a concept or experience rather than a simple factual retelling or recording. It is a far cry from the rigid, dry, pre-concluded task that most people think of when they hear the word "essay".
My favorite quote was from Edward Hoagland who said "...what lives in art is spirit, not factuality..." and this puts such a fine point on something I have struggled with all my life in the pursuit of my own artworks. There is no point in perfectly reproducing something that already exists, creativity and communication are about conveying our unique interpretation and doing it with as much originality as possible.
-Peter Ochabski
