Ynotartblog's Blog

The move, from large oil paintings filled with interconnected abstract shapes and marks whose emotive qualities created a snapshot of scenarios simultaneously projected, to work that may be described as minimal, reductive, or simpler did not physically happen as soon as the desire was noted. I like the idea of saying a lot with a little.

My first attempts to plunge into minimalism were void. Abandoned. Other directions were explored over the years with the minimalist concept in mental tow if not visible.

As I try to analyze the process that led to my present work, I am thinking that playing with color and shape was enjoyable but not completely satisfying. Now I see that, to me, I needed to be clearer about why I wanted to work with minimal/reductive images. I needed to articulate an idea/belief/feeling to create the thread to lead me forward. The transition required answering some questions about what was most important to express, as well as seeing if perhaps there was already a thread to carry forward. Simply, why was I making art? What the heck was I doing?

Yes, I am interested in the technical aspects of the play of color, shapes, repeating patterns, and variations. And I have always been interested in the expressiveness of movement, gesture. Who knew that all I had to do was rummage through a box of color paper and images to find my answer?

My rediscovery of a copy I had printed of a Greek marble relief of a woman walking was the missing link giving credence, you might say, to my efforts to work minimally. In that one image is expressed the vast wonder of moving through time, space…all stories coming together in one image conveying the beauty, mystery, weight, and lightness of moving forward, through the past to the present. From that began my work with torso-like images or bands of color to express this grand movement of life with less color and shapes.

It seems my underlying artistic motivations have really not changed. The big oils were lots of stories happening simultaneously in time expressing wonder. I had formulated those thoughts, but I had not embraced them, not trusted them. In doing art work so sporadically over the years, I more often than not put more effort in doing it than taking time to think about it. So this post is for me. Trying to see and then connect the dots to create a clear intent with confidence.

Here I am – attempting to capture the qualities I continue to marvel at when seeing or thinking about that relief, that one moment when the woman is seen about to take a step forward. (See the post One Moment to the Next.)