How I Found the Secret of Life in the Brancusi Museum (by K B)

Bustle, commotion, stress, metro, crowds
Door, ticket,
Ahhh…safe inside the Brancusi Museum
Space, objects, space, objects,
space, space, space-
Room to breathe.
Tranquility, serenity, smooth curving lines
Peace No clutter, yet no emptiness
Balance, Zen, harmony

Constantin Brancusi must have had such a remarkable emotional equilibrium in which he manifested his obsession with objects in relation to space. He obviously knew peace as he knew himself, for he so perfectly depicted the feeling in his art. As a therapist once told me, Your extreme highs and extreme lows are not healthy. You need to find a balance. If only I had grown up with knowledge of Brancusi and his work, I think I would be a healthier person. The minute I entered the Brancusi Atelier I found what the therapist had been speaking about: a representation of emotional steadiness.

The Brancusi Atelier possesses a sense of inner-calmness. The light, air, and space of the museum are charged with the electricity of serenity. The cool shapes and organic forms of Brancusi give the appearance of a perfect stillness. Appearances are deceiving, though. What appears so serene is actually changing in its relation to space at each angle you look at it. It seems Brancusi has found the perfect balance of movement and stillness, smoothness and roughness; His revolutionary forms are an artist’s antidote to modern complexity.

The feeling Brancusi’s work possesses reminds me of the peace attained in the Japanese art of Zen. Zen is a centuries-old discipline that works towards the path to inner-calmness. The ultimate goal of the Zen practice is to be able to eliminate all superfluous thoughts and desires. Brancusi’s work focuses on the removal of excessive decoration, however, not for the sole purpose of simple elimination. Brancusi removes what he found excessive as a means of getting to a more real peace. His elimination is a way of getting more, not less. This ‘more through less’ philosophy is where the link can be established between Brancusi’s work and the Japanese art of Zen. By reducing and eliminating clutter, we are in fact gaining more by bringing ourselves to a higher spiritual state of mind. Brancusi’s art is a perfect reflection of his elevated mentality.