Studio Zen: Non-Representational Painting and Meditation
Date
2021-05
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Abstract
Non-representational painting takes its cues and draws inspiration from the ephemeral and spiritual realms. And while this is essentially true, the physical world exists all around us. Its influences are relentless. Both the spiritual and ephemeral planes exist outside our time space continuum, independent of the physical laws that govern everything we see, hear, taste, smell or touch. They operate within a principle that while includes the material world, transcends value structures commonly used to determine worth in that world. Spirituality gives value to the idea of human divineness and ephemerality situates creativity within a moment that is fleeting. Where these two invisible forces cross is where I find not only compromise between the spiritual and material planes but also a balance and harmony that manifests and reveals itself in these eleven nonrepresentational paintings.
The paintings provide for the viewer an opportunity step outside of their visual, conceptual and theoretical interpretations of subject matter common to our external world. I purposefully provide the viewer with an alternative view of the landscape, sky, tree, and rock. It’s an invitation by me, asking the viewer to look at a painting whose genesis or point of creation lacks a dependence on external stimulus only, including any notions of a preconceived idea. These works have essentially written their own formal painting dialog into existence. Materiality, and the idea of the relationship between forms on a plane is essential in my work. The dialog that I have with my paintings is constantly developing as the work matures. Both the painting and I strive towards a harmony and balanced composition. The direction of the work is predicated on chance which allows for and demands at times extensive exploration. Both the aesthetics and the story of the painting’s creation are biproducts of the paintings making.
“The tendency of a work of art may be very simple, but provided it is not dictated by any external motive and provided it is not working to any material end, the harmony will be pure.” Wassily Kandinsky
Description
Thesis completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree in the School of Art and Design at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.
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MFA thesis, Alfred-Dusseldorf Painting, spiritual realm, ephemeral realm, Non-representational