I am deeply concerned about the divisiveness of our current culture. Whether it be NRA members ridiculing adolescent tragedy survivors or progressives calling people “ignorant assholes” for daring to explore the concept of a spirit animal, this “my way or the highway” attitude of social communion causes subconscious walls to be built up against understanding and harmony as well as begs the question of who has the absolute authority to dictate anything. Why do sides need to be formed in order to spread understanding, isn’t that counter-intuitive? No one has all the answers, and no one person ever will. If we are going to save the planet and the human spirit from disease and destruction we need to learn how not to insult and hate on each other, especially when we feel at odds.
I look at painting and I see answers to our problems. i see entities of all different colors shapes and sizes working together. I see subtle support strokes and dramatic scene dominating marks both find their communal place in the balance of harmony. I see cooperation and intrigue, simultaneous oneness and celebration of the singularity. I see even marks and colors that are no longer visible to the naked eye serve their place as foundations of the visible composition. I see the living and the remembered in unison in the universe. And throughout the painting process and its subsequent energy radiates love. We can learn so much about how to better come together as people through the evolution of Art…
Thank you for taking time to read my some of my thoughts on Art, and in large part, Life. There is so much to share, and it can be a challenge to do so. Writing is something I have sensed as an integral part of the mission and am grateful to have this forum.
*Opening thoughts*
At work on Aquatic Mural 1
Art has gone through so many evolutions, and has somehow embedded itself, however varied in interpretation, to probably every human. My mission is not to illustrate ideas or “things” so much as to explore what paint does when it is seen as an organism rather than as a means to an end. I see great possibilities in composing through layers, often allowing paint’s gobbed thickness to build into “sculpture,” though not quite. I approach color and space as a painter.
One thing I am exploring in the work is the idea that as 2D painting has acted as a portal to the 3D world, so might 3D painting act as a portal to the 4D world. The concepts found here-in can offer a cosmos of possibilities for painters and visual explorers.
While not my only focus, 3D painting does offer a number of Artistic possibilities not found in the usual approaches. One example I like to use is this: We know that mixing yellow and blue make green. We also know, largely from the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, that painting a yellow dot next to a blue dot, and the many variables there-in, will also make greens. What about, then, a yellow two inches in front of a blue, three inches in front of another yellow? What kind of optical discoveries can this lead to? This type of painting creates situations where parallax views matter for the scope of the composition.
Art and Science have paralleled each other since before history. Discoveries in both seem to explode out of certain epochs, such as the Renaissance. I do not believe, however, that Art has caught up to the Space Age yet. We have not yet looked at paint and surface the way the Hubble has looked at the universe. I hope my work helps others to explore the next level of Art this way. And I dream that others with a more scientific mind become curious about the possibilities found from exploring color in space.
I envision many entities coming together to form a larger social harmony, as I have learned happens in painting. Through painting, I learn much about the harmony of entities, existing in a space. I believe in working towards sustainable social harmony and love beyond borders, sharing with others as we each walk our roads.
I have come to view Art as an ever radiating sphere, somehow uniting everyone in some way as Art effects everyone in some way. But that does not mean that all Art has the same gravity. Painting, as far as we know, came first, as has a distinct magic that exists in its explorations and evolutions to this day. With the break from narrative and objectivity that happened in the early part of the 20th century, painting’s potential for the discovery of yet unknown realities grew exponentially.
At its core, Art is a quest down the rabbit whole of Reality to better understand existence, the opposite side of the coin to science perhaps. Art as narrative, as illustration, as expression, all come from that, and have varying gravities connected to their relevance to that core search. The works of Michelangelo have more gravity, more power in the truth of their creation than say a superhero comic, not because of the subjective way we might relate to these respective Arts but because of the breakthroughs in achievement and understanding generated by the work itself despite its meaning, representation, or narrative. That said, more people in the world know the name and stories of Batman, or Superman, or even Bart Simpson, than Michelangelo. Societal or cultural impact does not in and of itself represent the gravity of Artwork. Ask Van Gogh, whose works had no impact at all in his own time. Now, you can’t even walk into a dentist’s office without seeing a print of Sunflowers or Starry Night (I have a problem with Art prints, as they detract from the singularity of the painting/painter relationship, but that is another subject.)
The sphere of Art inherently unites the subjective and the objective in their respective places, in order that Art may maintain its deep core power and still speak in some way to everyone.
A few Thoughts on Abstraction and layering… – *Updated 4/4/18
Update – The painting that I have used as an example in this writing has recently been completed. True to the layering process of automatism, it went through a number of transformations, some drastic and some subtle, before it was brought to conclusion. There are a number of element in the piece that teeter on the edge of representation, and the title of the piece indicates this objective recognition. Yet, it is still a piece that centers around composition and color form relationships above any narrative or representational elements. Below is the finished “surreal” composition, “Cyclops, Soldier, Serpent, and Jellyfish”
Cyclops, Soldier, Serpent and Jellyfish, 16″ x 24″
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original post –
10/12/17
I am working on a piece (in particular) that has helped to link and expound upon the idea of objectivity and subjectivity being connected through layering. Where the idea of a form or recognizable figure / symbol is found through abstraction and allowed to be built up without the prejudice of direct representational-ism. To say, abstraction can lead to recognizable “objects” that can be defined through continued abstract layering.
I lean towards fields of abstraction with certain defined or accentuated moments, large or small. My work usually, at this point, stays clear of the defined figure, portrait, symbol, story or image. If my abstract work hearkens anything, it might be some form(s) of field or space or landscape. But in this one small piece, an almost dancing like figure as appeared in the layering, without pretense or preconception. I do not wish to define it as a figure any more than it is at this time, but seeing that reiterated the possibilities of layered abstraction and representation for others who see the value of pursuing Art this way.
So often, an idea is illustrated with a focus being on a particular representation of that idea. It tends to leave the idea on the surface especially now when the nuances of 2D representational composition are limited by the depths of history. As I advocate painting of the Space Age, I focus on the layering of elements in a piece to create something that vibrates with the power of the layers that it is built upon. I believe it is a way to keep painting fresh, relevant, and that it opens doors for so many others on their own search for Art. And that means that it cannot by nature be limited to image-less abstraction, but invites the explorations of an evolved representational-ism.
Green Dress, detail
In an earlier piece of mine, Green Dress, I explored this concept with circles and dots, more or less, lots and lots of them. The initial idea was always the figure, but the painting, the building, was abstract. It underwent many changes in the way the subject was represented, but was built up through the foundations of layering. When looking closely, one can see the circles in the dots, the waves and patterns of form and shape within the presentation of the image. And I believe it is important for an image or non/image work of Art to be built through strong network of compositional variables.
So often Art is still seen on the surface, for the image. I hope these and others’ explorations help to expose how much more there is to be seen.
