"What we encounter in works of art and philosophy are objective versions of our own pains and struggles, evoked and defined in sound, language and image. Artists and philosophers not only show us what we have felt, they present our experiences more poignantly and intelligently than we have been able; they give shape to aspects of our lives that we recognise as our own, yet could never have understood so clearly on our own. They explain our condition to us, and thereby help us to be less lonely with, and confused by it. We may be obliged to continue burrowing underground, but through creative works, we can at least acquire moments of insight into our woes, which spare us feelings of alarm, isolation even persecution at being afflicted by them. In their different ways, art and philosophy help us, in Arthur Schopenhauer's words, to turn pain into knowledge." ALAIN DE BOTTON
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Painting for me is a journey of inner experience. When I decide on a scene to paint I decide on the time of day and what kind of day it is. When the process of painting works for me is when I can image myself in the scene that I'm painting, how I am feeling when I'm there.
Hi Geoff,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on setting up your blog! It's clean, simple and easy to follow. I agree that large empty institutional spaces have a fascinating aura. It makes sense - so much happened in those spaces and today, the energy remains. Your works are evocative and really capture that haunting stillness. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your feedback. I note your comment about haunting stillness. Some time back I recorded a TV program presented by the historian Simon Schama and featuring the art of Jacques Louis David. Some of the music used in that program was hauntingly beautiful. No mention of that music appeared in the credits but thanks to the wonders of the internet, I discovered it was a piece by Vivaldi called "Nisi Dominus". I might purchase it and play it whilst painting.
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