Being Content

Being content is a sign of trust in God. Being content is a sign of trust in God because i realize, better still, i live in the knowledge of God’s provision for my needs (Genesis 22:14). i know from Jesus’ own lessons that God will care for me and see to it that my basic needs, and sometimes even my wants (within civilized parameters) (Psalm 37:4), aren’t unmet.

i have a lot of reasons to be anxious sometimes: [[ Will i impress the client? Will my boss buy me Adobe CS3 for use? Are my parents going to work this out? Will she like me? ]] These are not bad things for my attention, true, because then i can take them to God in prayer (1 Peter 5:7). Yet, insisting on dwelling upon them to the point of worry is like yanking them from God’s hands and pulling them to myself, when i can’t even change me own hair color (without salon help) (Matthew 5:36). The advertising world leaves all kinds of other reasons at the doors of my heart to be anxious: [[ Ooh, look at that car! Hm, all these new shareware apps. Man, i want a new intel Mac! ]]

When i am not content with God’s provision for the basics (1 Timothy 6:8), i actually open the doors for envy and materialism, a forever spiral into incessant, unending cravings for things that do not fill me. In his book The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis, through the mouth of Screwtape, explained addiction: an addiction is anything for which there is an increasing need and a diminishing pleasure return — bankrupt joy. Not being content, then, is a spiritual equivalent of chemical dependency. Thus, it is important for me to be content.

How then, should i now live in contentment? This is something i ask of myself right now. Honestly, contentment is something i am working on! It was my prayer request for last week.

Here is where i have begun my thoughts: maybe i can’t be content until i’m thankful. What reasons have i to be thankful? Thankfulness establishes in my own mind the things which God has already done in my life. Knowing the things which God has already done in my life establishes a basis for knowledge that He will continue to provide. This is the first reason to thank God.

Raymond Douillet-Chevoleau Opening at Angela King Gallery, New Orleans, LA, USA

The Angela King Gallery, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, opened an exhibit for French painter Raymond Douillet-Chevoleau on 2 November 2007, Friday. Mr. Douillet-Chevoleau was in attendance for the exhibit. The gallery obviously wanted his second time to exhibit in New Orleans in seven years to be something special. He was to exhibit his second showing in 2005 instead but Katrina cancelled those plans. There was little room even to stand, less for those who had multiple glasses of the wine offerings.

On to the art.

Douillet-Chevoleau’s paintings are executed perfectly. His works make you think of Dali for the slope towards surrealism, Hieronymous Bosch for the allegorial hints, and even Raphael’s School of Athens in his “L’Heures qui passe.” He references other artists too, though usually in an editorial fashion: his mockery of Mondrian is magnifique and he rants about Rothko’s rhetoric.

At the gallery’s links, you can see the images which were on display. while small web sizes won’t do the details and precision any justice, it shouldn’t be less stated that Douillet-Chevoleau’s technique is on par with the classical masters. Peruse the gallery and you’ll find that his pencil work, yes, there were pencil works too, is perfect. The lines on the paper are sharp (i guess he continually sharpened his pencils while working) and even the colors applied on a couple of those pencil works are ink sharp.

Freud held that sublimation, the substitute for unrequited sexual desires, is why artists make art, writers write, and musicians play. Hm, looking through Douillet-Chevoleau’s work you’d think he made art to cope with a controlling female who used sex to control him. In all but a few works the sexual innuendos were prevalent; you’d not need any kind of imagination to force the interpretation either. While Douillet-Chevoleau’s wife was also present at the show, i couldn’t help but stare at her wondering if she was the giant woman who held the tree in her hands and whether her artist husband was getting back at her for an affair or two.

All that being said, Douillet-Chevoleau’s work is destined for a museum, for the Louvre next century, and the loo for people shy of any hints of sexuality within art.