As I have begun to work on larger surfaces (I just put down the first layer on a 24"x24" -- yikes!), I find myself making larger gestures with or back into the paint. A natural gesture that seems to be a current favorite is the curve that presents itself by swinging my forearm naturally from the elbow. This is not the perfect curve of parallel lines provided by the spreader; it is a frequently uneven, somewhat elliptical, single-line curve. But it also has a vibrancy and eloquence that is endlessly changing (no two are ever the same) and, at least for the moment, endlessly fascinating. The picture in the previous post carries one, sideways.
The contrast between the mechanical and the organic speaks volumes to me. Man-made vs nature, controlled vs spontaneous, precise vs carefree, scripted vs ad-lib: The list could continue for pages. The presence of each characteristic in a painting makes a clear statement, and which mark I use becomes laden with meaning in a new way. It forces me to ask myself: What do I want to say? And: Am I saying it?
This relates to the concept of effortless mastery in my last post, in a variety of ways. Mostly, I think about the mastery that a mechanical tool like the spreader provides, which is easy but also fairly automatic and perhaps robotic, in contrast to the huge investment of knowledge, training, intent, and ambition that feeds into the mastery of an organic moment in paint or in music. This is why I am in love with the arts: To the extent that an artistic statement is organic (because some are mechanical), it speaks volumes to me, and it is that quality of a mastery that is complex, imperfect, organic, and human that I seek to achieve, and in which I rejoice whenever it is encountered.
No comments:
Post a Comment