Invention - The Eye Of The Beholder Paintings (part 2) - Word Art

The technique highlights how the viewer of a painting or piece of visual art is also the artist of the piece. Like when one is reading – the visual world of the reader is ignited and guided by the author, but the ultimate story comes alive, uniquely, within each reader. Art too, though the physical art piece is right in front of the viewer, comes alive, uniquely, within each viewer --- each reader/viewer interprets stimuli through their own unique dictionary of terms, judgments and reactions. I have started the series by touching on basic painting subject matter i.e. portrait, still life, landscape, cityscape, seascape etc. and am moving through artistic movements, specific famous paintings, iconic painters, expanding into iconic images and characters -- from any realm, historical period and events. All the while using less and less words within the painting. Ultimately, demonstrating how a word or name is defined within the viewer themselves. And that the mind can become so quick to define a visual stimuli (aka: make an assumption) that the viewer no longer takes the time to actually “see” and “process” or experience what is actually, physically in front of them. The mind is painting a whole scene within the viewer that is full of emotion, feeling and evoking an experience that actually has little to do with the actual moment. The viewer is just standing in front of a painted white canvas hanging on a wall...

A canvas that has a few marks of ink on it...

Marks of ink that happen to be in shapes of what our culture has all agreed upon: to stand for a sound...

Symbols our mind’s have recognized when put together make, what we define, as a word...

These words stand for defined concepts (and when spoken, make familiar sounds or when read, silently or aloud, trigger a picture/experience within the mind and ultimately within the body of the individual).

Depending on the subject matter of the series painting, the trigger can be quite evident.

This awareness is possible for the viewer, because the viewer can see that the canvases in front of them offers them so very little and yet the viewer is experiencing something quite profound.

Ultimately, through the end section of the series, the viewer is offered the opportunity to realize that they are the actual artist of all of the paintings they've seen, the realization can be quite expansive... often lighting smiles and laughter. Quite beautiful.

Invention - The Eye Of The Beholder Paintings (part 2)

This new style of artwork accentuates the viewer’s point of view.

The style offers an opportunity for the viewer to observe how their eyes actually move over a painting or piece of artwork. First the focal point, then how the eye travels around the piece while their brain, simultaneously, is filling in the picture: uniquely, within the viewer’s mind the picture reveals itself.

Stripping a picture down to it’s pure artistic elements, then substituting the visual stimulation into words (except composition) offers the viewer a rare, clean canvas in which a multitude of self-observational opportunities are presented.

I love to feel the act of discovery – when viewing this style of artwork, I can actually observe my mind filling in the details of the painting. It is great to view a piece with someone next to me, so we can laugh at our assumptions and personal definitions. There is a chance to discuss what emotional reactions arise from what we think we see in the picture and how the experience is uniquely ours... even the colors we fill in or the details that reveal themselves through us without any external stimuli or artist request.

Viewing a piece together with others and sharing our unique experiences opens up a space within each of us. That space, that breath, is really the whole point of this series. To take a thick thought and let it go... like yoga art --- one can go into a dense definition within the mind and breathe some space into it, lighting a smile, a laugh or finding relaxation in the process.

Each piece includes nondescript items found within a usual landscape, sill life or portrait.

In most pieces color is purposely excluded.

Although visually there is a lot of white space around the black word objects and content, when the viewer truly sees their whole picture, the space disappears and only the viewer’s invisible interpretation is revealed.

The series next step is to move into icons and one or two word definitions --- where a mental/cultural definition surpasses any visual stimuli.

A large blank canvas with one or two very small words can reveal a very clear and definite picture that is no longer studied or observed from a point of openness, discovery or exploration but stands completely defined.

Where on a big white canvas a few black letters, together, arranged in a particular order can ignite a mind's view. Beliefs, emotions, opinions flood in a split second of re-cognition and the canvas is brought to life -- full, bright and completely empty