context: Albers and Einstein on the Beach at the Morgan

I visited the Albers works on Paper show at the Morgan Museum this week.  His studies in oil on paper were a container for, as he said, "his craziness about color."  They are luscious and memorable.

This is one image from a slide show from GalleristNY. 

I notice in my painting and artwork that whenever I change one part - it changes the whole.  Like the colors in Alber's studies - each color and shape has it's impact on what's juxtaposed with it.  When I'm almost finished a painting, but it's 'not quite there', I cringe a bit knowing that one more change will set the whole thing in motion again and I may have to sacrifice the parts I may like so far.  It's a sacrifice one has to be prepared to make!  Into the unknown.

Downstairs at the Morgan is a great film called  Einstein on the Beach: the Changing Image of Opera directed by Mark Obenhaus.   It documents the seminal performance work by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson done in 1975.  Einstein on the Beach is on tour again this year and will be at BAM this September.

Perhaps the curators at the Morgan intentionally showed the Albers next to the Obenhaus documentary.   In the documentary Einstein is quoted as saying:  "The most beautiful thing we can experience is mystery." In repeatedly moving into the intuited yet unknown or unmade in my art I enjoy the brush with mystery.




 

Two paintings from two weekends ago at dawn in Chittenden, Vermont.  Could not resist.

Annemarie Siefert's Paintings

A few weeks ago I saw a great show of paintings by Annemarie Siefert at Westover School Gallery in Middlebury, CT. It's still running through April 14th if you get inspired to go!  Annemarie Seifert's paintings are vibrant with rich color and masterful in technique.  She also does incredible pastels but these pictures are all of paintings.

This one's called "The Studio."

I like the dark rusty colored area around the back of the roof and the way the grey door and it's left-side shadow contrast with the bright yellow wall. Here's a closer view of that part:

  Using layers of color to convey shadow and light, her subjects sometimes take on a metaphysical aspect.   Below, here's a roadie with ethereal color.   It's a big painting which helps convey the massive scale of the road and construction site.  It's called "Bridge 189 at Dawn, NYC."

I can't forget this cowface pictured below.  I've been thinking about painting our dog, Nick.  His face conveys a warmth and presence, like he's thinking with his heart.  Like this cow.  This is a little painting that to me conveys emotionally intelligent warmth.  No doubt I am anthropomorphizing, but no matter.  We resonate with images like this one because of how they trigger our emotions.

Thanks for looking! If you like these pictures, I have more photos from the show I'm planning to post on Facebook and Twitter so check that out too.

I hope you'll check in next week for more!