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February 27, 2004
the need for mess
Mess and space. A painting needs both to breathe and to exist in its own right. Without a deal of mess the picture is in danger of being purely a reflection of life instead of an interpretation or an insight or an observation. It is not enough, as I have said before in these diaries, just to hold a mirror up to the world, the painter should be a lens, and bend the light a little.
So, space where there is perhaps no space creates emotions and mess where there is no mess conveys the mood. This is why drawings are often more evocative than paintings, and charcoal drawings in particular. That is why I paint in a painterly way, with big brushes and big brush strokes and as little blending as possible.
Mess is passion, space lets the light in. What more do you want?
Posted by john at February 27, 2004 11:34 PM
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