Voice by Joan Lennon

I've just been to the Masters Degree Show at Dundee University where one of my sons is displaying his work along with other student artists in a wide variety of disciplines, from Forensic Modelling to Animation to Graphic Novels and Comics.  It was an impressive display with a high level of professionalism - and yes, of course, I thought his was the best!  But parental prejudice aside, there was something I noticed from time to time on a wall or a screen or on a table ... that indefinable thing - an individual voice.  Of course all the voices (if I can use the word for visual art) were individual, but you know the feeling I'm talking about - that this is something different.  It exists in all the arts - visual, music, writing, dance, craft. I'm not talking about anything self-conscious or cynical or slick.  Often it can be rough around the edges to begin with.  But we know it when we see it and it draws us.

So join me as I raise my coffee mug to that ineffability that is voice - individual, authentic, original - as it reminds us that there's more to this being human thing than bad news.  Cheers.

different voices -

angels singing - 

detail from the Ghent Altarpiece 

by Hubert and Jan van Eyck (15th century)

Joan Lennon's website.
Joan Lennon's blog.
Walking Mountain.