"Divided Sky" - 4 x 5' Acrylic Painting

Divided Sky, 4 x 5 ft acrylic by Ed T. © 2008

This is another fairly recent (about two years old), experimental, acrylic painting of mine. None of my titles for my paintings are really permanent but I have to refer to them in some way, and I call this one Divided Sky.

I have done a number of these non-objective, large acrylic paintings over the past few years and they aren't what you would call 'pretty', but that's okay because I hate pretty art! Now my watercolor paintings for example might be looked upon as more fluent, but these large acrylics have a kind of experimental raw ugliness that I like.

“Evermore in the world is this marvelous balance of beauty and disgust, magnificence and rats” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I remember being a child and being drawn to looking at not physically beautiful people per say, but people with interesting faces. Not necessarily ugly (how does one define beautiful and ugly anyways) but people with faces that had character. I'll take interesting over beautiful any day of the week. Not to say that a painting can't be interesting and beautiful, because art can be anything really. I am just saying I have an appreciation for the balance in life. The highs and the lows, the beautiful in contrast with the ugly, good and evil; none of these things would be possible without the other.

"Colored Pencil and Ink Drawing"

I have always been struck with the way that Wassily Kandinsky used color. I mean really in my eyes he revolutionized the use of color in painting. He launched an all-out assault on objectivity you could say even. So it's no wonder I consider his artwork an influence on my own.

"Colored Pencil and Ink drawing" by Ed T. ©

Here we have yet another entry from an old sketchbook of mine; just an abstract expressionist style doodle really. I am going to be presenting a lot of these as I continue to go through my old work and digitize it. Speaking of Kandinsky though, let's hear his thoughts on the psychic effects of looking at color:

"They produce a corresponding spiritual vibration, and it is only as a step towards this spiritual vibration that the elementary physical impression is of importance."

-Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, 1911.

This quote makes me think of Mark Rothko's paintings; his style of large layered color fields meant to evoke emotion in the viewer. I of course think he accomplished this brilliantly, and am a huge fan of Rothko's work. But what I am trying to say though is that - of course color has a kind of spiritual resonance, or at least a reaction from the psyche. It is with the process of painting, especially non-objective painting; that we can further explore the relationship between color and the viewer.

A Recent Painting of Mine: "Mad Night", With Words From Whitman

Frankly, there are a lot of Walt Whitman works that don't inspire me, but there are more than a few very striking stanzas of his poetry that absolutely do inspire me and my creative spirit; this is one of those stanzas:

I am he that walks with the tender and growing night;
I call to the earth and sea half-held by the night.
Press close bare-bosomed night! Press close magnetic nourishing night!
Night of south winds! Night of the large few stars!
Still nodding night! Mad naked summer night!

-Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition.

I am quoting this because I think it is a good literary expression for a fairly recent work of mine. I did this acrylic and collage painting below, that I tentatively call "Mad Night", about 6 months ago. (Not mad in the angry sense, but mad in the crazy sense.) As with another recently featured work of mine; Visceral Composition #1, this is from a large body of acrylic paintings (about 25 more) done in the last 3 - 5 years with a fairly experimental process and style. (Experimental for me and my style anyways). I am just now getting around to finishing and photographing most of them, which is why I am featuring them now.

I love painting in watercolors, where the style and texture is obviously influenced by the fast drying paint and flow of the water. Acrylic paint is similar in that it dries quickly, but the painting process for me with acrylics as opposed to watercolors or even oil paint is much different. With acrylics the painting is more of a constructed work, rather than something that was painted on in a kind of flow. That is definitely the case with this work, which has some collage elements mixed in with the paint.

Large Acrylic Work: Visceral Composition #1

This piece is fairly recent - from 2006, and until this point unseen outside of what you would call my studio. (I'm kinda slow sometimes finishing and photographing my work). It's a large (about 4 x 4-1/2') acrylic painting with just a touch of collage. It's part of a bunch of large fairly experimental acrylic paintings I've done in the last few years, all in a very kind of raw and visceral style.

By the way, what a great word - visceral. The technical definition - it's the plural form of viscus; an internal organ of the body, (as the spleen, kidney, heart, etc). So it's like feeling something deeply; as if in the viscera. Or here is my own definition: earthy, primal, crude, elemental, intuitive, raw. Or defined as follows (dict.org):

1. Of, pertaining to, or affecting the viscera; splanchnic.

2. Having deep sensibility.

3. Proceeding from emotion or instinct rather than from
intellect; deeply emotional; -- as, a visceral reaction.

4. Dealing with coarse or base emotions; -- as, a visceral
literary style.

Visceral Composition #1 by Ed T. © '08

Digg It!

The Role of the Collective Unconscious in Expression

What is that inner voice that tells you if you like or don't like something? I mean the aesthetic quality of things, like when you look at a painting and like it or don't like it; what is that? I know as far as my own work goes I can look at the painting or drawing I am working on and immediately decide what I like and what I want to change. But where does that voice come from? What particular quality of a line, shape, or color hue makes it pleasing to my eye? Maybe words of wisdom from psychologist Carl Jung can shed some light on the subject:

"This re-immersion in the state of participation mystique is the secret of artistic creation and of the effect which great art has upon us, for at that level of experience it is no longer the weal or woe of the individual that counts, but the life of the collective. That is why every great work of art is objective and impersonal, and yet profoundly moving." - Carl Jung

I can identify with this idea in my work. A striving towards the 'collective unconscious'; the collected experience of generations of humankind. In the depths of each of us we are connected, and we are all the same. In creating and sharing my experiences and my art I realize this is true. In my non-representational artwork and style in general, I naturally strive towards expressing universal archetypes, symbols, form, color, meshed with my individual developed style. I purposefully steer away from having too much intention in my work, instead relying on that voice that 'knows' or feels rather what line, what form goes where. Maybe that is what that voice, that way of knowing, that 'style' is; a seeking of that universal understanding and system of processing and recognition, striving for the expression of the collective unconscious.

That is kind of any oxymoron though right? - Intending to express the unconscious in my work. How does one exactly approach that method of creation? How do you get to that release of direct conscious intention, and access that underlying unconscious reality? If you look at the work and methods of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollack I think we find at least some kind of answer. Take his famous 'drip' painting method, or what some call 'action painting' for example. His process of standing over the canvas and moving in it, gesturing with the arms to drip and fling the paint onto the surface below. In the attention paid to the action in the work, there opens up a place for that deeper underlying intention to come through.

"The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through." - Jackson Pollock

But that is only one method of accessing the unconscious. Luckily for us there is a myriad of experiences waiting to be expressed and shared. More ways of experiencing ourselves subjectively and therefore universally. Each of our experiences on this planet is unique, but great artwork expresses something deeply universal in all of us. It's that pulling towards universal understanding and expression that guides my work. Not to say that my work is great, but i try!

The Importance of Life Experience and The Creative Process

How important is it for an artist (writer, musician, insert creative activity here) to live an exciting life? Is it necessary to have some struggle in one's life? Does having some healthy tension, a diverse group of experiences to draw from, etc. give a boost to one's art? I believe in taking risks with one's art, but how important is to have what one would call risky experiences in life, and does this affect one's art positively? I have touched on this subject before here at Modern Art Quotes, but I want to ponder on it in a little more detail. Take this quote from jazz musician Charlie Parker:

"If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn." - Charlie Parker

Jazz, like abstract expressionism shares a basis in the importance of the action in creating the art; a celebration of the moment. The process is a kind of drawing out of an inner energy through the medium. So is Charlie Parker right? Does what you live affect what you create? I know my art has surprised me sometimes by containing elements that are personal to me, but that I didn't consciously intend to put in the work. Obviously if one loves where one is living, is in love with the landscape etc. that would affect your work, but what if that is not exactly your intention, does it come through anyways? Let's listen to artist Jacob Lawrence's thoughts on this subject.

“Our homes were very decorative, full of pattern, like inexpensive throw rugs. It must have had some influence, all this color and everything. Because we were so poor the people used this as a means of brightening their life. I used to do bright patterns after these throw rugs; I got ideas from them, the arabesques, the movement and so on.” -Jacob Lawrence

My personal experience is that not only does your environment and experience define who you are but define your art as well. I have had more than several key experiences that directly relate to how I create. Those experiences reverberate strongly in an unconscious manner. It's like dreams; they are the mind's way of visualizing personal problems, issues, needs, wants, or just daily life. This comes out when you create, and is why many people do create, to filter out whatever they need to and just get lost in the creative process.

Also though I am a firm believer in the power of intention. That despite feeling like you might be pulled in certain directions, that may be related to your circumstances and experience, you have the power at any time to define or redefine what you want to say and how you want to say it.

Some Thoughts on Abstract Expression

In my quest to expand my philosophy of art and know art history, I have found that the work of Mark Rothko is some of the most controversial art that is feared by 'realist' painters and thinkers. Often they cite his work in their desperate attempt to undermine anything that is not concretely defined or anything they don't understand. Rothko sought to know the things he didn't understand, here's a quote from the man himself....

"Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can only be explored by those willing to take risks."

-Mark Rothko

I agree completely with him when says that "art is an adventure." And he was one of the greatest adventurers of that unknown world, leaving us a magnificent body of work, portals right into the depths of his soul. Yes, there are absolutely some artist's out there who simplify their expression into a kind of dull, simple, decorative display of swooshes and textures, with maybe some gold leaf and bits of music written on parchment thrown in, and then call there work 'contemporary'. If I was president (thank heavens I'm not) I would have all of these artists banned from art supply stores everywhere.

They are a reason serious artists like myself and Rothko have a harder time reaching a wider audience with our art. What I am saying is that labels like 'abstract' and 'non-objective' or contemporary, just get in the way of what is soulful art. An effort to reach across time and space with your work to touch people in an honest way with reflections of your own soul. This is what Rothko did,... If you've ever seen one of his paintings in person you know that it shines like a beacon the moment you enter the room it's in. (It does for me anyways).

Jackson Pollack on Creating

I believe that in many ways you create the reality that you live in. I believe that thoughts can become real, and the more you concentrate and focus the more real and tangible the thought is. Or in Jackson Pollack's case, the more you let go and get into your work the deeper into the self you travel.

"When I say artist I mean the man who is building things - creating molding the earth - whether it be the plains of the west - or the iron ore of Penn. It's all a big game of construction - some with a brush - some with a shovel - some choose a pen."

-Jackson Pollack

In his paintings Pollack created a mirror of his soul. A personal and direct expression of himself; a crude way to think of his work is as a kind of seismographic Rorschach Test. I have only seen some smaller Pollack paintings in person and they reeked of inner spiritual expression. I would love to see some of his giant more formal paintings,..... one day soon perhaps.

Helen Frankenthaler; Post-Abstract Expressionist

This is a beautiful quote from Helen Frankenthaler and describes well, her artwork:

"One really beautiful wrist motion, that is synchronized with your head and heart, and you have it. It looks as if it were born in a minute."

-Helen Frankenthaler

An abstract painter who in her work embraces a kind of natural abstract beauty and grace, rather than the very gestural and painterly works of her predecessors. Frankenthaler is an immensely important artist of the 20th century. She was the first artist to just soak-stain raw canvas, developing her own innovative methods for this process. Some would call her work Color-Field painting; a movement that followed after Abstract Expressionism.

She knew the influential New York art critic Clement Greenberg, who through she met Willam deKooning and Jackson Pollack. And Here we have a direct link from the two chief abstract expressionists, Pollack and deKooning, and the chief pioneer of the movement that would follow after them. In her work we find a poetic voice that embraces spiritual essence over matter, and abstract over representational.

Willem de Kooning on Culture

There are those now legendary tales of the rivalry between abstract expressionists Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollack. Even one instance of them fighting in New York's famous The Cedar Bar. Personal demons aside, de Kooning had a more cultured European style personality, and Pollack was a wild man from the west. I had always been fascinated by Pollack's work and had read more about him, I guess taking my own stand in the rivalry.

"For milk to become yogurt it needs culture"

-Willem de Kooning

I love that quote from de Kooning, and as much as I hate to admit it, he shares a closer link to my creative process than Pollack does, or at least equal. For example: de Kooning had a process where he would tear up drawings and use them has a sort of pallet for his paintings, and thought that drawing was vitally important for an artist. This is not dissimilar with what I do with my sketchbook and odd collections of 'doodles' on napkins and bits of paper, junk mail, or whatever is handy at the time, and they way I use those images in my paintings.

Mark Rothko on His Paintings

One of my all time favorite painters is Mark Rothko. Probably one of the most misunderstood 20th century painters, his life is fascinating. He preferred cheap Chinese takeout to gourmet restaurants, and once turned down a multi-million dollar commission from Seagram's. After completing the works and visiting the location where the paintings were to hang, he decided he didn't want his work to be viewed by stuffy, greedy, business executives. I think he makes an important distinction in each of the two following quotes concerning the perception of his work:

"I’m not an abstractionist. I’m not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on."

"The fact that people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I can communicate those basic human emotions.. the people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when painting them. And if you say you are moved only by their color relationships then you miss the point."

-Mark Rothko (1903 -1970)

He is not concerned with the relationships of the colors in his work, but of the relationship of the work to himself and the viewer, and the emotional response. Someday I would love to see some of his larger work in person.

Art Must Have Soul to Be Good

To me, a painting about nothing is, a bowl of apples; although well painted, I would find it very boring. Some would say Mark Rothko's paintings are about nothing, I disagree. Let's look at a quote from the man:

"It is a widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted. This is the essence of academicism. There is no such thing as good painting about nothing."

-Mark Rothko

I have seen only one of his originals, hanging in the Nelson Atkins museum in Kansas City, but viewing it how can one say it is about nothing? There is an immediate sense of awe, of void, of etherealness, emptiness, of soul-stirring energy. When I view that painting by Rothko, I cannot help but be overcome with a sense of emotion I could only call Rothko.

Music, Art, and Mysticism

The following quotes are from Evelyn Underhill's book Mysticism published in 1911. (Considered a classic by many in the realm of the study of spiritual consciousness.) What's interesting, is that in 1910 Wassily Kandinsky wrote his theoretical study, Concerning the Spiritual in Art, in which he examines the psychological effects of color with analogies between music and art. Music was a strong influence in his art, having learned piano and cello at an early age.

"The Earthly artist, because perception brings with it the imperative longing for expression, tries to give us in colour, sound or words a hint of his ecstasy, his glimpse of truth. Only those who have tried, know how small a fraction of his vision he can, under the most favourable circumstance, contrive to represent. The mystic too, tries very hard to tell an unwilling world his secret. But in his case, the difficulties are enormously increased. First, there is the huge disparity between his mind and the mind of the world. His audience must be bewitched as well as addressed, caught up to something of his state, before they can be made to understand."

(-Evelyn Underhill, p. 76 - Mysticism, London: Methuen, 1911.)

Another paragraph and a half down the page she goes on to say -

"Yet of all the arts music alone shares with great mystical literature the power of waking in us a response to the life-movement of the universe: brings us - we know not how - news of its exultant passions and its incomparable peace."

To Underhill, music was the closest form of expression to mystical literature, so it makes sense that Kandinsky, a painter heavily influenced by music, created the first formal nonrepresentational painting. (The same year he wrote his aforementioned study.)

My point is that abstract expressionism is a valuable form of mystical expression, more closely in tune with musical expression than classic painting depicting physical reality. Had Evelyn Underhill wrote her book a few decades later has abstract expressionism really begins to take root, I feel she would be inclined to agree with me.