A friend of a friend saw a painting of mine in my friend’s house. His first comment was, “Oh, wow!” Then it was, “Hmm, interesting.” And then, “Hmm, it’s like a wasteland in the middle.” And he didn’t “understand” that. He was attracted to the color, he liked that, but he felt the middle was empty, wasted space (my interpretation of his comments). It seems he didn’t see what I saw. To me that space in the middle is very full. That’s the major part of the painting, where “nothing” happens but where it is full with possibilities.
But I don’t want to tell you what to see. A painting that “wears well,” has longevity, is a continuous exploration, a continuous revelation, never stops telling you it’s secrets. The “ideal” painting gives you new insights into itself, over and over, year after year. It is never tired, never rests, but gives qualities, impressions, experiences that only belong to that particular painting.
I frequently hear people say they don’t know anything about abstract art and therefore they don’t understand it. What they mean, usually, is that when they see something unknown, they freeze. The first thought may be “Wow,” but the second thought may involve trying to put one’s own version, one’s own knowledge and concepts onto phenomenon (in this case, a painting). It can be hard to stay with pure perception, that first impression. I prefer to make art that is not based on a concept, is not logical in the mundane sense, not created by prescribed rules but opens up space, time and the unknown for the perceiver. A good painting, to me, is timeless and continually giving birth.
Posted by leya at May 14, 2006 06:02 PMOh wow, is sometimes all one gets from someone looking at a painting. Oh wow, for me, lets you know, as a painter, that you have 'socked' it to them in a way that makes their gut react. It is the moment in which the viewer zooms in ; however, the zoom in can also bring forth a moronic response such as wasteland himself has revealed. With all due respect, blah blah.
I had a friend over for dinner one time, and he looked at the painting I had just finished and said "are you sure you didn't go too far with this one, are you sure" he just could not see what I saw, how all that was in that painting meant everything to me, all that I had overcome. To him it was maybe $100 I could have spent elsewhere.I know he isn't a moron, but he doesn't get it.He has since been invited back for dinner and he just looks now - and occassionally I overcook his asparagus.
I think we want the viewer to decide for themselves what they see, but other times when they burst out a response that feels'shredding', we want to put their head in a vice grip and squeeze real hard, after all, it is just wasted space up there.
I think you lit a fire Leya!
Posted by: Jackie at May 14, 2006 07:43 PM