David Herrle SubtleTea Interview with Elizabeth Castonguay

Elizabeth: A few of my favorite artists from the past are Lautrec, George de la Tour, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Degas, Caravaggio, Cezanne, Klimt, Hopper, among many, many others.  I don't have any "favorite" paintings.  I tend to see the paintings of an artist as being part of their body of work.

Good and bad art?  There are three things that I look for in a "good" piece of two-dimensional art.  The three qualifiers are good composition, technical expertise and/or craftsmanship, and archival consideration by the artist.

I try to hold my own work to these same standards, plus I add another element. I expect my work to "speak" to or about humanity.  It needs to have a reason to exist or my time and the space it occupies is wasted. 

D: You run a lovely studio in Castle Shannon: Creation Arts Studio.  Tell us about its origin and anything else you'd like to share.

Elizabeth: Creation Art Studio was born three years ago.  My studios in the past have always been connected to my home or [in] an extra room when we rented apartments.  Three years ago my works were getting considerably larger and we were constantly losing our daughters and family dog behind the paintings.  The studio that I am in now has wonderful north light.  I walked and drove around with my compass to find this studio: north light is a constant light and always gentle.  When you ask realtors about north light they usually don't call back.

D: Your sensitivity to racial and cultural diversity is as important to your oeuvre as the paint, I deem.  And from previous chats with you, your approach is sensible and not politically charged (which makes race and culture into tools or weapons).  Your work is honest yet celebratory of humanity despite our failings, and many of your pieces portray physical and traditional diversity as wondrous human aspects, as beauty to be memorialized in art.

I respect culture over race.  I try my best to reject racialism altogether as basically superfluous to human intelligence.  We have "different shells," I guess you would say, since you've a lovely painting called Different Shells, Same Egg.  Malcolm X eventually marveled that blue-eyed, blonde-haired men united as brothers.  The trouble is, too many others fixate on race for a variety of reasons or agendas.  I'll go so far as to say that even intentionally positive programs based on race are problematic and bothersome to me.  I prefer to view race as genetic accident (in a non-value sense) and not detriment or asset.  This means that racial pride is thrown out with racial disgrace.  Both approach individuals as something more than or less than human or as a mere unit in a tribe: what David Littlejohn called "lumping dehumanization" and what Ayn Rand called "the lowest, most crudely primitive form of collectivism."

Cyrus Colter, author of the amazing novel, The Rivers of Eros, said, "I'm black, I'm a writer, and I'm interested in the black milieu, but I had to see those characters not as blacks but as human beings in a black environment."

Being overly proud of one's race is as bad as being ashamed of it.  Culture is another matter.  It involves human decision and worth.  There are bad cultures as well as good cultures.  Cultures are wider extensions of persons.  As Berdyaev specifies, culture rubs elbows with spiritual freedom while civilization generally employs necessity (power plays, force, penalty).

Your thoughts on my take?  Feel free to add and expand on your own approach.

Elizabeth: I think that your idea about racial pride being fine when it's passive rather than assertive is exactly right.  Racial pride and knowledge of one's traditions and ancestry can and should give a person a feeling of self worth.  Beyond that however, like you, I believe that the mere superficial identifying characteristics of "race" or ethnicity is quite as irrelevant as eye color. As an artist I have explored the individuality of the person while searching for the commonality of our collective innermost selves. I believe that the celebration of the diversity of humanity will be the only key to unlock the door to peace in a world currently plagued by prejudice, hatred, and war. We are at a crossroads in history and at the threshold of science where we will soon have the technological expertise to extend life beyond our greatest imagination, but we already have the ability to destroy human life as we know it.  It is my obligation as an artist to speak about our diversity which can be the vehicle either to divide or empower humanity.  It is my hope that through my work I will be able to address prejudice while breaking down barriers. I believe that we must begin to see our differences as stimulating while seeing our innate similarities as the gene that ties us to one another and to the Creator of all humanity. 

Different Shells, Same Egg ©

As you mentioned, I frequently use the image of Different Shells, Same Egg © to depict the idea of individuality and commonality.  To me the egg shell can be representative of color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. It represents those characteristics that people use to isolate a group from the rest of society or that a group will self impose due to their own ethnocentricity.  Despite stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, when the shell is broken the egg is the same within.  While humanity is often superficially different the basic needs and desires are common to the vast majority of us.  In keeping with this, the precepts of the major world religions are nearly identical.  This does not detract from any one religion. Instead it should keep us in sync with our brothers and sisters around the world and permit us to revel in the fact that each is giving homage to our creator in unique and creative ways.

D: You've recently become acquainted with Chinese dissident poet,  Huang Xiang, who now lives in the U.S.  Can you tell us a little about him?  What are your impressions of this talented and experience-full man? 

Elizabeth: Hwang Xiang and his wife Zhang Ling (also a poet) are courageous, strong, intelligent, talented artists that are very much in love.  Hwang Xiang was in prison in China for many years because of his beliefs and writings about individual freedom.  Zhang Ling supported his beliefs and waited for Hwang Xiang to be released.  She acts as his translator and is a wonderful, loving support to her husband.  Hwang Xiang and I have begun a painting/poem which we are working collaboratively on.  I am very excited about this opportunity.  It was amazing how many paintings in my studio were akin to his poetry which was written across the world in a totally different set of circumstances. The three of us were touched by this coincidence.

D: You're quite concerned about and active in social improvement, ranging from your family's volunteerism with Three Rivers Youth's Academy House (which earned the Jefferson Award for Public Service) to establishment of Celebrating Diversity in Pittsburgh.  I'm impressed with your drive to reach out to others,  your obvious sincerity, and your ability to express a human-unifying gospel through your painting.

Lao-Tzu's Tao Te Ching encourages us to treat and love the world as ourselves (echoing the recurring expressions of the "Golden Rule") and says the Sage helps all people without denial.  Jesus considered neglect of the least of folks to be neglect of himself.  The Ancient Egyptians praised provision of food, water, clothes, etc. to the needy.  Hindu traditional describes the poor and unhealthy as "lords of the atmosphere."  The Torah speaks of the entire world being saved through the salvation of a single life.  In Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, Mitya, accepting punishment for a crime he did not do, says, "[W]e are all responsible for all."  In other words, a spirit of compassion and mercy runs through humanity despite frequent evil and political situations.

Though I see the spiritual insufficiency of wealth, I'm careful to avoid popular classism and especially class warfare.  Leave that for the emotional exploitative politicians and armchair anarchists/communists to gag on.  There are evil poor as well as evil rich, as Victor Hugo shows in Les Miserables.  And I find it amusing that much bashing of "rich white guys" are rich white guys, from John Lennon to Michael Moore and Bill Clinton.  Lenin continued Max Weber's idea of "vanguard" direction of revolutionary action: the intelligensia or elite -- who are usually removed from the so-called worker class -- stoking the fire and allowing the masses to spread the conflagration.  

I dread the fall of business infrastructure, since I know so much depends on wealth generation: like food, utilities, and medicine/hygiene.  As things stand in reality, charity is largely supplied by wealthy folk.  And voluntary giving is surprisingly high (mainly in religious and social-activist circles).

But.  I'm also cautious about mass provision and charity in regard to intent or implied or explicit exchange.  What if criminal enterprises doled out the poor folk, founded cheap housing, etc.?  Is "what I get out of it" satisfactory reason to support a regime or a president?  When folks judge leaders by their past or present financial delivery or failures, I'm quick to reject support because of economics.  The hand that feeds you can bite you. 

So I tend to trust in charity and social programs on a smaller scale, more heart to heart than institution to nations or globe.  Love is kept genuine by familiar sincerity, by careful concentration on goodness rather than compulsory, state-directed socialism or campaigns.  The heart must be healthy and wealthy before it can truly promote health and prosperity.  Ignoring problems, of course, deadens the heart. 

Peggy Noonan wrote in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (1994): "The worst thing about what is called the homeless situation is that people are living in the cold and damp of the street.  The second worst thing is how it corrupts the people who walk by, making believe that they don't see, making believe that they don't hear what is being said to them..."

Your reactions to my spiel?  Please tell us about the projects you've been/you are involved in.

Elizabeth: A well thought out last statement David with much information to ponder.  As far as who will do the dirty jobs necessary for a complex society to run?  My painting, A Tribute to Labor is my answer to that question.  This painting of twenty-two canvases and still growing is my tribute to those who use their hands to make their living. I respect and admire both the skilled and unskilled laborer. These people are the lifeblood of any country.  They provide the infrastructure that keeps society going.  They serve their country throughout their lives and their sons and daughters are often the first to serve their country in time of war.    

D: Elizabeth, I'm honored to know you.  Your work is quite important, especially in this age of regression to tribalism and international upheaval.  You exemplify the responsible, inspired, edifying and worthy artist amidst disappointment and approaching chaos.  Perhaps more attention to art such as yours might contribute to the heart-to-heart salvation of different-shelled, same yolked humans.

I wish you blessings on your path.  Have you any closing words for readers/fans?

Elizabeth: A quick thought on the current crisis on the Middle East.  When one kills who they perceive to be a terrorist it is like cutting a worm in half.  When terrorists are killed surely you have one less terrorist at the moment.  However you have spawned even more terrorists for the future because there will be retribution from that persons children, siblings, etc. Hasn't every country been a terrorist in their own way?  Our own country stood by while as many innocent African-Americans were lynched in the twentieth century as died on September 11.  It is time for humanity as a whole to work for the common good.  If every group doesn't learn how to clean the slate we will all be erased.