The Power of
Silence
While visiting an
Italian site on art I recently landed on an interesting documentary about the
painter Giorgio Morandi whom the narrator coined as the painter of silence. Not
exactly a minimalist myself, the principle of minimalism has always intrigued
me. The idea that less is more has its
appeal and I have used this guideline in several areas in my environment. It certainly keeps guiding me each time I
undertake the boring task of uncluttering my house. It is quite amazing how much stuff one
quickly accumulates. I hate clutter!
While my small
urban garden spills over with lush opulence and keeps me working for hours, the
garden in the back of my beach house is a traditional Japanese garden that
invites serene contemplation. I like to
think that some of my paintings do too.
As
I look at my paintings I can clearly see in my work the allure and expressive freedom
of color. Color becomes synonymous of exuberance,
joy and also of shock. At times, an
intense panoply of color can be overwhelming and saturating like a cluttered
space. What I came to realize looking at
my work is, that those paintings that are characterized by some degree of
minimalism, whether expressed by a monochromatic palette or by a quiet
abstraction, are just as powerful as those with intense colors and complex
compositions.
Looking at your
paintings as a collection is quite informative.
Obvious patters and repetitions will emerge in a way you may not have
considered. In the process you might
discover surprises; you might start questioning and imagine new
directions. Possibilities may suddenly
engage you to experiment.
We find ourselves
often trapped by the comfort of the familiar and by the ease of the
habitual. I suspect this creates clutter
in the creative process. It may well
keep us from evolving. Let’s make room
for renewal!
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