"Theology of Nonexistence" by Troy's Work Table.
Sidewalk chalk wash, sidewalk chalk, chalk pastels, and charcoal pencil on 12" x 12" concrete board.
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"But if I plunge into this via negativa, the figure I'll find is not on high , and I expect no revelation" and "Of not accepting that you're not, the silence" —from "Theology of Nonexistence" by Jacques Roubaud, as found in Some Thing Black (and translated from the French by Rosmarie Waldrop)
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Some Thing Black is a collection of poems by Jacques Roubaud that explores the aftermath of his wife's sudden death. These are poems of mourning and grief, and, eventually, coming to terms with his wife's absence.
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"Theology of Nonexistence" in other words is "God-word of Not Being." But what if God is silent? Or worse, God may be speaking in some sense, but one cannot understand it?
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"Theology of Nonexistence" falls in the middle of these more than 80 poems. It is a balance of loss and love. It is a cry into the abyss of death. It is protest and remembrance.
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Some Thing Black is one of the inspirations for my own Black Psalms. There is something about these poems, these ruminations and reflections upon death and existence, that presses into truths as it moves along. There is brutal honesty placed upon the page, and it was something that I hoped to emulate as I likewise explored disease, suffering, and existence. Answers may not necessarily be forthcoming, but sometimes the simple act of asking the questions is enough.
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One of my favorite ways of creating chalk art is when I can build a new piece over the remnants of an old piece. "Theology of Nonexistence" uses the "bones" of "Of a Child Early Born" to create a new image.
I like the process of transformation that this kind of art-work entails, especially when the results are satisfying.
"Theology of Nonexistence" and its predecessor are two of my favorite chalk art interpretations of this "Poems for Lent" project so far.
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