Writing about the French Impressionists recently, an art critic remarked that Cezanne drew his "religion from his art."  In other words, as this critic saw it, in contrast to some people who formulate their art on the basis of their religion, Cezanne reversed the equation and instead formulated his religion on the basis of his art.  It's rather akin to a person who draws her religious inspiration from walking through a forest:  on the basis of her experience in the forest, she develops her religious perspective.  It is in the doing of his art, in the work of his creation, that Cezanne finds his religious moment.

     

    The artists I know do likewise.  As they do their art, these artists find themselves and, usually, a new facet of their spirituality.  A spirituality that, it seems to me, could only be if there is spiritual presence.  A presence that we, necessarily, did not make.

    Otherwise, we're just spinning our wheels.