gaze 35, 32x32" at 3pm today
3:26 PM: i got a bit of a late start today due to the timing of a skype with my old friend gary, in the netherlands. gaze 35 is, at this point, somewhat of a departure from the vermeer inspired paintings that comprise the rest of the series. the balance between realist & abstract is almost perfect, i'd say. the fact that, for many of you, this image is an integral part of your art history vocabulary helps. it's as though i'm riffing on a well known tune, and if i take it 60% of the way, you know the rest. i don't need to spell out the details. as a matter of fact, that would take away from the impact of gaze 35.
the dog eared love letter post card sent to me by my friend & mentor yannis tsarouchis in the '70's sits facing me at this desk in my studio. a reminder not only of our friendship, but of the importance of this painting.
what, i wonder, would vermeer say? and gorky? would archile gorky recognize the ways he helped shape my particular vision? how about dekooning? would he get just how deeply rooted those early semi-abstract figures of his are in my psyche? i say yes to all these questions!