The material of artist of oneness is love. Artist looks at the one s/he loves and sees all assets. Artist desires to see. S/he sees the seas, oceans, mountains, plains, clouds, stars, trees. Artist watches the birds, dolphins, mockingbirds on beloved’s face.
Everything is the face of the beloved. Artists sees the loved one wherever s/he turns. This manners of love promise all of us a journey of “being human” all by itself. I will roughly try to explain what I mean when I say “artist of oneness”, starting from this.
Artist of oneness is the one who tries to express the meaning lover’s face carries. Artist wanders, rests, travels on that face. Artist tours. A pilgrim circumambulating the Kaaba, artist turns towards directionlessness. Erases and gets rid of all registries. In each tour, artist removes the borders. In praising the eyes and eyebrows, fine hairs, dimples of the loved one… Artist of oneness praises to God. And God emanates through human beings in its most perfect form. Yunus Emre says, “Whom we love is God, and people get God’s eyes and eyebrows!” As a matter of fact, it is said that Adam is created in God’s own image. Adam symbolizes a position in humanity, and by leaving his evil desires behind, transforming his desires into his soul, he achieves perfection. Angels grovel to him, but Devil refuses to… What Adam represents is complete with “Our Master”.
Just like Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), artist of oneness does not voice own desires, but extends what is entrusted to the artist from the source. Through the artist “universal” traditions are conveyed. The way to share this is appealing to implication which is indirect expression. That is art. Either by writing, or drawing and painting, or screaming like a reed flute. Because truth cannot find its tongue without an agent. Just as Prophet Muhammad heralded through revelations from Gabriel, artist of oneness talks by way of the beloved, not from own evil desires. Because artist’s part is to carry the trust of the beloved in his own way. If artist loots with love from the loved one, this means s/he gets the inspiration from its source in his/her works. This is the only way to come closer to the truth, and to bring art lovers closer.
However for love and knowledge civilization which aims to raise beautiful, perfect human beings, knowledge does not suffice for drawing inspiration from its source. The scientific, absolute accumulations should be put into practice. It is possible to become a real human being by putting into practice what you know for your life and body, by turning these into living words. Even if you are Moses, a Godsend is required in this journey of being human. Otherwise, one becomes a servant of desires, in other words ideologies, identity-oriented communities, and their desires (interests etc.). But this is not a step towards transforming one’s self into people as Prophet Muhammad did.
Today love has customers rather than aspirants. This is why we easily consume it, before tying it to knowledge. However love without knowledge is like truth without sharia. It restrains one to philosophy. It leaves one without practice, proof, verse. Ethics and aesthetics of what is beautiful remains undeveloped. Not the oneness civilization, but the civilization of cadavers progresses. But artist of oneness, yes, performs the beautiful names of the beloved in everything s/he looks; even if there is violence, pain, slaughter, tears and blood…. Artist desires beauty so much until there is nothing left out there that is unpleasant. Artist realizes the impossibility of attaining a satisfied self before giving into God’s glory as well as God’s beauty. Although artist of oneness expresses what is foul and evil in his/her works, there is a certain etiquette to do that. Because artist knows that evil is accidental and what is substantive is good/ beautiful. In his works, artist brings closer, overlaps and joins hearts, makes them one, speaks the mother language of the heart. Every effort aimed at this are artist’s practice. We can say that lover is the practice as the beloved is the universe. Artist of oneness is exactly the person which makes these one. Because loving God is loving Our Master. What is the biggest evidence to God if not Holy Human?..
Artist of oneness expresses this reality as much as s/he experiences this reality consciously and puts it into practice in his/ her life and art. Drawing near to the truth, begins with the intention of understanding human. Human is an endless journey. From eternity to for ever and ever. This is why artist of oneness demands a standard in any case. So we are back to where we started, we are closer to the face we love, have returned to it once more.
As I said in the beginning, the skill of praising the beauty of a face is to evoke beauty… Just one face isenough for the artist of oneness, both in life and art. To love, to praise, to be beautiful, and to share the beauty… That face is the face of the God. It reveals itself in the loved one. For the lover, it is an obligation to love it.
In conclusion, while trying to discuss some qualities of the artist of oneness I approached as a performer, I also referred to those who dedicate their lives to becoming a perfect human, who take the risk of paying the price for this cause and who seek to question one’s own desires.
One can only dive into the radiant world of non-existence when there is not a single grain of lovelessness left in the heart. When evil is found in God, when the meeting takes place, lover and the loved become one. As love poet Vahip Ümmi said: “I am in love and loyal, oneness is my witness and that suffices/ Oh brother God will come and understand that your idol will leave…” Yes, journey of becoming human: Art of loving. This is the best performance of artist of oneness!
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