I have been thinking about the artist Richard Serra lately. He recently passed away. I feel a sense of loss due to being in awe of his work. His monumental sculptures delight me with their scale, lovely curves, sense of space, and calm. Walking through one of his installations conjures reactions in me that I can find no words to express, and yet they speak a universal language.
We all know this feeling.
Author Patrick Bringley in “All the Beauty in the World” expresses this as, “A work of art tends to speak of things that are at once too large and too intimate to be summed up, and they speak of them by not speaking at all.” And - “What was beautiful in the painting was not like words, it was like paint - silent, direct and concrete, resisting translation even into thought. As such, my response to the painting was trapped inside me, a bird fluttering in my chest.”
As an artist, I am in a quandary with how to instill those reactions in my viewers. If I cannot define it with words, then how can I possibly turn around and create it?
The first time I felt I came close was with “Blue Two.” I have actually sold two of these, and continue to delight in my own reaction when I get to see them in person from time to time. I still react in the same manner, with no words to describe the reaction. There is a boldness in the statement, but what is it?
“Portal and Vessel” colored pencil on museum board, 40x58 inches
This piece, “Portal and Vessel” is the same for me. It has a presence – in person. The details of strokes and color have more impact in person than from this jpeg that condenses color information.
The title refers back to this same concept of not being able to define that quality, that indescribable reaction. The piece hopes to be both a portal while also being a vessel that contains the ingredients.
I love creating these pieces. I wonder how many I can do before they become repetitive, and I wonder when I will finally figure out the words to describe what’s going on here. When I do find the words, I will finally be able to write that elusive artist’s statement.