The Secret of My Eyes
The Secret of My Eyes is a small painting of 12,9 x 18 centimetres made back in September 2017.
I can recall few but important things about the moment in which I drew it. For example, I remember that geographically I was in Italy, more precisely in Salerno…
Yet, my mind was somewhere else… Let’s try to figure out where:
Nosce Te Ipsum
During those years a big influence marked my days: George Gurdjieff. In fact, we talk about years in which I was constantly questioning myself about the sense of being. But… being what? Being nothing, just being.
This might sound a bit of a silly game of words… Nevertheless it is a very simple yet powerful reflection that recalls very ancient teachings from different schools, and the legendary greek γνῶθι σεαυτόν, namely Nosce Te Ipsum in the Latin translation, or know thyself in English.
The person who introduced me to those concepts was K., with which I used to meet very often those days…
… Ok, yes, we were dating 🥰, but that is not the point: K. introduced me to G., E., E., and A. With them, I shared beautiful and intense days, learning about me as a human and about the human being as a part of a species.
While meeting with that group, I read the books that P. D. Ouspensky wrote about G. Gurdjieff: first, Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (AKA In Search of the Miraculous), and then The Fourth Way. These books and their teachings totally marked a stage of my life. Furthermore, they are still with me (the books) and within me (the teachings).
Nowadays, I can see Gurdjieff’s teachings on The Secret of My Eyes: for example the triangle, as one of the mystic figures that I like the most, then the eye, and finally the person which is… reflected on the eye or captured within? Take a look and you tell me:
Dolina and Borges
Other influences while drawing The Secret of My Eyes were Alejandro Dolina and Jorge Luís Borges.
Dolina has been a great companion not just for this painting, but also for my travels, for my sleepless nights, and in general for my life. Indeed, the flow, thoughts and reflections of his podcast La Venganza Será Terrible are there: the pleasure of the lecture (you might want to listen to this amazing chapter about it), the reference to Ramón Raquello and his Orchestra, etc.
Jorge Luís Borges is also there. Indeed, we can read: I offer you the loyalty of a man who has never been loyal… which is a reference to one of his English poems. Also, there is a mention to Rafael Cansinos, who has been of great influence to Borges himself. Indeed, much probably I knew about Cansinos while listening either to Borges or to Dolina.
Both Dolina and Borges were very present within those years of my life. Effectively, I used to listen to them almost every day: on the train while going to work, with my headphones during a walk coming back home, or when I was painting…
The Secret of My Eyes
The artwork explores music, literature, surrealism, space, time… Indeed, there are the influences mentioned above but also a mention to The War of the Worlds of H.G. Welles, which I might have been listening to during one of the drawing sessions.
Furthermore, the many circles, dots, lines, and colours connecting one thing with another, are also a symbolism of how those concepts where connecting the ideas and feelings that I had in my mind. Finally, at the centre of everything there is the self, the person… This tells and reminds us that humans cannot see themselves using their own eyes…
So… here it is, there you have…. The Secret of My Eyes:
NFT
Last but not least, a little surprise: The Secret of My Eyes is the second item on Lufo Art NFT’s gallery. Right as Instant, this artwork aims to help the project Proof of Humanity following a scaled scheme of burning. Yet, The Secret of My Eyes has a surprise: it comes with an unlockable content… oh dear, but now… the anxiety! What could it possible be?!
What do you think about The Secret of My Eyes?
I read your comments! 👀
Have the best day of your life!
Tschüss
Dr. Luquitas