no. 6, ink on paper. © 2007 .
vier - quattuor - tessares - relativity - justice - order - seasons - wind - elements - memory - beneficence -
though it’s probably unavoidable, i really dislike defining things by what ‘they are not’ - the problem is - what ‘they are’ doesn’t seem as interesting without the reference to something that already exists ...
such is the case with contemporary art - to say that ‘it’ is not only about abstract expressionism, lyrical/gestural abstraction, or automatism presumes that the work is about those things and more - which, for me, is a bit conceited and unfair because it prejudices the opinion of what the work really is, and possibly elevates the work to an undeserving status ...
so the term - ‘what informs the work’ was adopted so one can identify their aspects of influence with a certain degree of reverence and ambiguity ... there’s a decorum to posing the question and clues for dialogue in the answer - this feels like gamesmanship - but again, i don’t see it as definitively explaining an artists work ... in the end it's the gallery dealers, art critics, and consumers that construct a fitting rationale ...
for an artist that is serious about their ‘job’; one who doesn’t play to the audience or preoccupy themselves with folly or fetish, and one that is aware of history and the world - description is elusive ... naturally, there are material and technical issues that need to be overcome in the process of making anything - and if that doesn’t become a means to an end - what ‘it’ is, has more to do with response to stimulus and perhaps something as vague as tapping the 'collective' and trusting a finely honed ability to paint from the heart or intuitive knowing - ‘it’ acquires meaning upon entering the world - a posteriori ... [so intent and meaning need to be evaluated in addition to influence] ...
like any other research however, a language for testing is required for measuring progress and results - so we're back to collecting data, asking the right questions, and appropriating meaning - especially in the area of abstraction - a necessary 'bridge' or 'tool' for deciphering and interpretation ...
doing the 'art' is almost much easier - no wonder ...
