Tuesday, May 6, 2014
"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." - Hans Hoffman
Often times I am asked to 'explain my art'; sometimes 'people just don't understand it'...maybe my art isn't meant to be 'understood' or to 'represent something', maybe it is just meant to be beautiful in it's own simple way.
Sometimes I can talk about art for hours on end, sometimes I have difficulty in coming up with answers to questions about my art...sometimes it is just the silence and the viewing that I feel should matter. Today I was pondering the idea of 'abstract art' and 'minimal art' which are two distinct ways I describe my art, and here are some 'words' that I came across to help explain a little bit about this broad subject.
"Heart Song", Ginnie Cappaert, 2013
ABSTRACT ART...."a trend in painting....seeks to break away from traditional representation of physical objects....it explores the relationships of forms and colors...."
MINIMAL ART...."where any kind of personal expression is kept to a minimum....simplicity of form...purely visual response....let the viewer experience all the more strongly the pure qualities of colour, form, space and materials..."
"Above Deep Waters", Hans Hoffman, 1959
I do try to take a 'zen' like approach to my life as much as I can, always enjoying the 'simple little things' and trying not to worry about the 'big things' ... so much of my thoughts, feelings go into each layer of my painting that I can totally understand how someone may not 'get my art'. Many artists before us have followed a minimalist abstract path...some of my favorites are Hans Hoffman, Rothko, Richard Diebenkorn, Gerhard Richter and many more. Although they may not have followed a minimalist/abstract path their entire art career, you can find through their work different stages as well. They continue to inspire us artists to this day.
May, you, find simplicity in your life. Remember....'The simplest things are often the truest.' - Richard Bach
Often times I am asked to 'explain my art'; sometimes 'people just don't understand it'...maybe my art isn't meant to be 'understood' or to 'represent something', maybe it is just meant to be beautiful in it's own simple way.
Sometimes I can talk about art for hours on end, sometimes I have difficulty in coming up with answers to questions about my art...sometimes it is just the silence and the viewing that I feel should matter. Today I was pondering the idea of 'abstract art' and 'minimal art' which are two distinct ways I describe my art, and here are some 'words' that I came across to help explain a little bit about this broad subject.
ABSTRACT ART...."a trend in painting....seeks to break away from traditional representation of physical objects....it explores the relationships of forms and colors...."
MINIMAL ART...."where any kind of personal expression is kept to a minimum....simplicity of form...purely visual response....let the viewer experience all the more strongly the pure qualities of colour, form, space and materials..."
I do try to take a 'zen' like approach to my life as much as I can, always enjoying the 'simple little things' and trying not to worry about the 'big things' ... so much of my thoughts, feelings go into each layer of my painting that I can totally understand how someone may not 'get my art'. Many artists before us have followed a minimalist abstract path...some of my favorites are Hans Hoffman, Rothko, Richard Diebenkorn, Gerhard Richter and many more. Although they may not have followed a minimalist/abstract path their entire art career, you can find through their work different stages as well. They continue to inspire us artists to this day.
May, you, find simplicity in your life. Remember....'The simplest things are often the truest.' - Richard Bach
