Sylvain Louis-Seize
Ethos
by Sylvain Louis-Seize
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About the Book
ETHOS
Ethos: The fundamental character or spirit of a culture, the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society.
There are times when we make choices – to take the left path instead of the right, for example – and then there are rare opportunities to return to the moment of choice and say yes to both options. For several years, I wanted to re-explore a path that I felt I left too early and somewhat unfinished when I chose to pursue my landscape series. I always had these images in my mind as I painted my landscapes because each piece contained abstract elements but on different level and scale.
These new pieces explore questions about the fundamental character and spirit about people, community and culture. Ethos refers to that indefinable region within the spirit, the soul and the mind that shapes and forms the character of a person. Curiously, an “ethos” does not belong to the speaker – but rather, it exists as a construct in the mind of the viewer.
Ethos shares an etymological heritage with our understanding of ethics. For me, this series of work also explores what it means to be an ethical person in the midst of our own complicated culture and time; it has provided me with a meditation on Greek ideals of justice, courage, temperance, liberality, gentleness, compassion and wisdom.
None of these exists in isolation. By layering the materials, allowing one to dominate and then the other, forcing their tactile interaction, I attempt to express the movement and interaction of the human journey and its moral purpose.
For me, the creation of this work has also been a very physical cri de coeur, a response to the lack of civil discourse, principled engagement, or compassionate leadership demonstrated by our political class. The shallowness of our public discourse denies both the complexity of our individual humanity and our common purpose. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that in a democracy, people get the governments that they deserve. Ethos is my attempt to communicate and reflect the essence of the creative light and moral centre that exists in each of us; it is my way of asking, as an artist, a parent, and a citizen, for our collective aspirations to be greater.
Sylvain Louis-Seize, August 2010
Ethos: The fundamental character or spirit of a culture, the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society.
There are times when we make choices – to take the left path instead of the right, for example – and then there are rare opportunities to return to the moment of choice and say yes to both options. For several years, I wanted to re-explore a path that I felt I left too early and somewhat unfinished when I chose to pursue my landscape series. I always had these images in my mind as I painted my landscapes because each piece contained abstract elements but on different level and scale.
These new pieces explore questions about the fundamental character and spirit about people, community and culture. Ethos refers to that indefinable region within the spirit, the soul and the mind that shapes and forms the character of a person. Curiously, an “ethos” does not belong to the speaker – but rather, it exists as a construct in the mind of the viewer.
Ethos shares an etymological heritage with our understanding of ethics. For me, this series of work also explores what it means to be an ethical person in the midst of our own complicated culture and time; it has provided me with a meditation on Greek ideals of justice, courage, temperance, liberality, gentleness, compassion and wisdom.
None of these exists in isolation. By layering the materials, allowing one to dominate and then the other, forcing their tactile interaction, I attempt to express the movement and interaction of the human journey and its moral purpose.
For me, the creation of this work has also been a very physical cri de coeur, a response to the lack of civil discourse, principled engagement, or compassionate leadership demonstrated by our political class. The shallowness of our public discourse denies both the complexity of our individual humanity and our common purpose. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that in a democracy, people get the governments that they deserve. Ethos is my attempt to communicate and reflect the essence of the creative light and moral centre that exists in each of us; it is my way of asking, as an artist, a parent, and a citizen, for our collective aspirations to be greater.
Sylvain Louis-Seize, August 2010
Features & Details
- Primary Category: Arts & Photography Books
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Project Option: Standard Landscape, 10×8 in, 25×20 cm
# of Pages: 20 - Publish Date: Sep 02, 2010
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