 "The Beginnings of Caution" (2022 No.4, state 4), oil on canvas, 47⅞ x47 inches “How to Look at a Basquiat” (New York Times, April 27, 2022): “One thing in particular that’s easier to see in “Art and Objecthood” than in the overwhelming visual cacophony of “King Pleasure” is how conservatively Basquiat organized the elements of his paintings. The sheer profusion of marks can be misleading, but if you recognize the scratches and scrawls of “Minor Success,” for example, as providing a texture rather than so many pieces of separate information, you’ll see that the arrangement of crown, face and car couldn’t be more straightforward.”
“Straightforward” compositional engagement is one of my annoying struggles. Right now I am working to become more “straightforward.” For me, this is acceptance. I have long fought traditional compositional norms; Basquiat did not do that; from the onset Basquiat embraced traditional graphic composition; Basquiat recognized the power of tried and true graphic composing, its power to immediately engage viewers. I am learning; the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat teaches me well.  Drawing 02·08·2022, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches Get real! This drawing happened during my throws of physical recovery. Is it more real than most of my stuff? This drawing can be read as figure in weird landscape, or not. In any case, I continue my lethargic self-evaluation, also insight and surprising self-realization. My default may not be as elegantly abstract as I once believed. Perhaps I just want to make imaginary figures in imaginary landscapes. Perhaps I am more Joan Miró then I had imagined, or Yves Tanguy?👇  Yves Tanguy, "Indefined Divisibility", oil on canvas, 1942  "Gonna Speak to the Crowd" (2021 No.5, state 22), oil on canvas, 64¾x57½ inches, {"I'm gonna spare the defeated — I'm gonna speak to the crowd. I'm gonna spare the defeated, boys, I'm going to speak to the crowd. I am goin' to teach peace to the conquered. I'm gonna tame the proud." - Bob Dylan, "Lonesome Day Blues" (2001)} I realized "Gonna Speak to the Crowd” is not yet complete. I took charge, moved it toward a more active composition, an in-your-face, movement involved, structurally whole composition. This painting moved in the direction of my guiding principles: self-satisfaction and viewer involvement. Wanna see a painting that did ALL THE ABOVE, back in 1951; look below👇  Ellsworth Kelly, "The Meschers", oil on canvas, 1951  Drawing 01·20·2022, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches myself Sometimes I mull over my reason for the text within my Blog post. What’s it all about? It is all about me mulling over my Art, its direction, its validity, the degree I have made sense in my work. Today is no exception. This is a good drawing. I am establishing a center, in my work, and in myself. Today’s text is me patting on the back, “I did alright,” and “I am going the right direction.” Bravo for me! Now, get outta here and go make more Art! Take a look at a master, Franz Marc, controlling the viewer's engagement: In the painting "Deer in the Forest," Marc locks the viewer's gaze within this painting, through form and value. After the lock, Marc carries the viewer through a maze of wonder, via color, form, value, and movement.  Franz Marc, "Deer in the Forest", 101x105cm, 1913  Drawing 12·21·2021 No.1, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches  Drawing 12·21·2021 No.2, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches I am on my own road. This is a shoutout to myself: "Follow your own compass!" and, "To thyself be true!" I am abandoning misdirection. Misdirection is mostly using models for direction. These drawings an't nothing but my own. I am choosing simplicity. This is me accepting my own minuscule knowledge. Forget the guy who was edgy. I was looking for revolution; I should have been following what I know. Here, in these drawings, I am working toward my personal summative truth.
 Drawing 12·05·2021 (state 2), pencil on paper, 16x20 inches  Drawing 12·05·2021 (state 1), pencil on paper, 16x20 inches I once read Pablo Picasso hired studio helpers to duplicate his paintings in process. He did this because he wanted to go two ways with the same painting. This happens to me, in drawings and in paintings. I do not have studio helpers. Yesterday I moved a drawing to a place I thought was as good as it gets, then I had second thoughts. I photographed state 1; went back into the same drawing. This happens often to me; usually I do not take the time to photograph earlier states. I am desperate to get to the best conclusions possible. In fact, the more I know the more desperate I am. My artistic intensity is on the rise. I am feel upset, like an angry person in quest of a solution to my problems. In this case ,it is the failure of my Art to be as good as I know it can be.
I do like state 2 of this drawing much better than state 1. I am toying with allowing negative space to have its day. However, I do hate vacuums, pure white. I need to see everything that is the surface's ground. Van Gogh and I are similar in this regard. True too with Andrew Wyeth.  Drawing 11·24·2021 (State 2), pencil on paper, 20x16 inches  Drawing 12·01·2021 No.2, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches  Drawing 12·01·2021 No.2, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches These drawing are my statement for today. I have much work to do to pare myself down to direct emotive, intellectual, satisfactory works of Art. To see something that accomplish that for which I strive... look below at Sophie Taeuber-Arp, “Vertical-Horizontal Composition”, 1916 (from this week's THE NEW YORKER Magazine).  Sophie Taeuber-Arp, “Vertical-Horizontal Composition”, 1916  Drawing 10·31·2021, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches Lately I have been wasting a lot of pencil strokes. They have not been worth it, except for one truth revealed: Making marks is not as important as making a dynamic composition.
Yesterday's drawing reveals personal deception. Yesterday's simple drawing strikes me as one of my best. You will see a lot of pencil strokes on the drawings in my previous two blog posts, particularly the drawing posted on 10/30/2021. If Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting, the one I posted on 10/24/2021, teaches me anything, it is composition dynamism is obviously more important than strokes of pencil or brush.  Drawing 10·23·2021, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches Comparisons in Art are difficult; Art's range of content runs the gamut of human emotions. Today I give you a comparison of my drawing from yesterday to a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). This is not an easy comparison. To me, it is apt; it represents my struggle to be true to myself. I am drawn to Basquiat's extreme, forceful content, but... I am me and he is he. The one simple and obvious connection I make with this Basquiat painting is its organization. Basquiat slams you into its center panel; he grabs the the viewer with color contrast, as well as formal centering because of content that are complex and patterned shapes. Basquiat painting is a lesson in classical compositional organization. There is no getting around the effectiveness that is centering the viewer's attention through any means possible, which include large forms, strong color, obvious shapes, interesting patterns, and high value contrast.  Jean-Michel Basquiat, "Untitled", oil on wood slats  Drawing 10·08·2021 No.1, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches I do not need to write anything. This drawing is manageable, straightforward, like the art of Agnes Martin.   |
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At MEHRBACH.com you may view many of my paintings and drawings, past and present, and see details about my life and work. Archives
June 2022
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