 "Chaos, Stillness & Prayer" (2018 No.9, state 9), oil on canvas, 54x36 inches {"Art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos. A stillness which characterizes prayer, too, and the eye of the storm.... an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction." -Saul Bellow, "Writers at Work: Third Series", 1967} Almost, but not quite — the painting "Chaos, Stillness & Prayer" requires today to make real its possibilities. Today it will transition to full reality. Angst is taking over. I need to begin a new painting. I have new ideas that need to take shape on canvas. There is hunger in me to self-discover forward. My success rate, as measured by the quality of my paintings, is greater than ever before. My new works always speak more accurately to me than my past works, thus adding to my angst. Time is limited, now and in the future. I choose to maximize my ideas.
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 "The Doctrine of Liberty" (2019 No.1, state 1), oil on canvas, 66x59.5 inches {"I believe there is a golden thread which alone gives meaning to the political history of the West, from Marathon to Alamein, from Solon to Winston Churchill and after. This I chose to call the doctrine of liberty under the law." -Anthony Sampson, "The Changing Anatomy of Britain", 1982} I have been thinking about The Law — The Law for a visual artist in 2019. An End to Litigiousness? is the title of my 1/16/2019 Blog Post. This deserves an answer: "In 2019 can art be made without The Law?" Yesterday I began a new painting. I call it, The Doctrine of Liberty. The Doctrine of Liberty has intent. It intends to be one possible answer to my litigious question. It may go astray during its construction. As usual, I will attempt to discover myself through my art-making. I will generate new information. This will lead to better informed answers. Truth will be strengthened. The Doctrine of Liberty is scalped from Anthony Sampson's famous book, Anatomy of Britain. To further clarify my reasoning I slightly alter Sampson's quote: "I believe there is a golden thread which alone gives meaning to [The Art History] of the West." I could have called my new painting A Golden Thread. I chose The Doctrine of Liberty because this painting is a statement, albeit part of a golden thread. It is me seeking personal liberty, personal truth. Anthony Terrell Seward Sampson (3 August 1926 – 18 December 2004) was a British writer and journalist. His most notable and successful book was Anatomy of Britain, which was published in 1962 and was followed by five more "Anatomies", updating the original book under various titles. He was the grandson of the linguist John Sampson, of whom he wrote a biography, The Scholar Gypsy: The Quest For A Family Secret (1997). He also gave Nelson Mandela advice on Mandela's famous 1964 defense speech at the trial which led to his conviction for life.  Drawing 01·03·2018 No.1, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches  Drawing 01·03·2018 No.2, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches  Drawing 01·03·2018 No.3, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches Two-thousand eighteen has begun: Here I am. Stronger than ever; Returning is a wonderful thing. Just when I thought ideas were rolling well I went away. I come back. Surprise, I am more clear. There will be strength in my returns. Here are those from My Day 1, 2018.
 "2017 No.11" (state 12), oil on canvas, 52x54 inches Yesterday a friend told me that electric cars (Tesla's, for example) do not have transmissions. I didn't know. Never thought about it. I don't have a transmission either. After being on idle for a couple of weeks I am up and running. Feels good to be strong, healthy, and active. At last the painting 2017 No.11 is complete. Yesterday I placed a new canvas on my work wall; it shall become the painting 2017 No.12 (initial dimensions = 69x55.5 inches). I think yesterday's drawing is a prelude to the new painting.  Drawing 08·24·2017, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches   Is this the same guy? New beginnings are mysterious, sometimes bold, sometimes conservative and retrospective. Me? I just plug along, follow the deep. There is nothing more to say. Looking is more revelatory than my words.  "2017 No.11" (state 1), oil on canvas, 44x50 inches  "2017 No.8" (state 7), oil on canvas, 55.5x62 inches Never say never! The images continue to work their way toward their own personal finalities. I am the conduit. I channel ideas that burst from intuition. It is a reactive intuition. Reacting is my primary activity. The first mark calls for a second mark, then a third, et cetera. It is a simple activity. The simplicity brings surprises because I have seen a lot, done a lot, felt a lot, and know a lot. It is all within me. No one instance can know it all! So I plod onward, pulling out, one by one, things deep within me. I react to the internal. I react to the presence in front of me. It happens. It nourishes me. It make me feel alive and well. The painting, 2017 No.8, is nearing its finality. After seven states I feel I know this painting. It is calling for a few enhancements, then it will be done. Yesterday's drawings did surprise. These images are new. They resemble nothing that I have seen before.    "2017 No.7" (state 1), oil on canvas, 56.5x57.5 inches Shocking? Not really! I just like the title I used for today's blog because I have enjoyed the wonderful book of the same name by Art critic Robert Hughes. Making Art "is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." (This quote from the film "Forest Gump" is also, obviously, not new.) The NEW is the painting, and the drawing, because every thing I make is new. The painting I began yesterday does surprise me. It feels aggressive in its contrasting use of forms, scaled big to little. At the same time this painting is forcing the three-dimensional artifice of space, of which I am fond. Yesterday's drawing looks like a mix of things recent: NOT so NEW!  Drawing 04·06·2017, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches  "2016 No.20" (state 1), oil on canvas, 57x56 inches I began a new painting. The daily work goes on. Is it new and different? Never! But, yesterday's work (including the drawings) has the feel of the work from day before... there is substantiality here. This does feel new and different. As always, I question my predilection to admire my own stuff.   |
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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
February 2019
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