1:17 PM: upon entering my studio this morning and reviewing gaze 37, it was apparent that, yet again, i was sticking too closely to the prototype, vermeer's the milkmaid. the detail that i find most compelling in his painting is the hand holding the pitcher, the pitcher itself and the milk flowing into the waiting bowl. so i painted over the other elements and introduced a repeat image of the hand holding the pitcher, this time with a bit more of her sleeve showing. as a result, for now at least, what we see brings to mind stop motion video, as the viewers eye bounces from pitcher to pitcher, hand to hand and arm. the rich green of her sleeve is now evident, acting as a counterbalance to the beautiful green of the maine maps collaged onto the surface. the previously problematic upper left region of the canvas has now come alive. it's graphically more interesting, and helps lead the eye around the forms and colors without getting stuck on a fucking teapot!
it's what you could call a playful intervention. one which serves the purpose of putting the all important integrity of the picture plane first and content second. i mean, if you compare yesterday's version, below left, with the most current, which sings more? which provokes more? and which is more visually satisfying?
