Purple Veil, oil on panel, 20" x 16"
I'm painting over some old paintings. No one should ever bother to x-ray them in hopes that there is a hidden masterpiece underneath. I have pretty good judgement about these things and usually don't miss what was. It is an interesting process, a dialogue with a past self. Hindsight lends a hand. I stand by the majority of my older work. I am unable nor desire to repeat the past. The old paintings are springboards for new ideas; either by keeping some of what is there or by having the reaction to negate everything in favor of a new direction. George Lucas has been critizied for wanting re-do parts of the Star Wars trilogy. I understand both the desire to keep tweeking a work and to let it stand, marked by the context of its time of creation. Artist Pierre Bonnard was said to have retouched one of his paintings after it was hanging in a museum. There is always the danger of over-working a piece, to be so compelled to keep going that the piece is taken past freshness. Giacommetti's brother, Diego, often pulled sculptures and paintings away from the artist in an effort to curb this tendency. He was so brilliant, hard-working, and prolific that the compulsion probably served him more than hindered.
Purple Veil is a fresh panel, nothing to paint over, although a few sessions on it has left it pretty bumpy. The light rectangle is like a time dimension, unpenetrable to our gaze. It reminds me of the veil in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that Sirius falls into when he dies; Harry is unable to follow. This is similar with the pale blue rectangle of Ten Years Later, which, although also a portal, is made of thinner air. The title came from painting over the image underneath, which was done in 1998. I don't have the tendency to overwork things. With Chinese painting and caligraphy in mind, I try to be alert for the moment when the image clicks. The tricky thing is to be open to unusual outcomes, but that is the exciting part.
2 comments:
I had no idea that artists may consider painting over an old fine painting until read your post.
In my work, I actually "have to" work on manuscripts over and over again. Although every time when I finalize the revision I believe it looks fine, I always find something peculiar when reading it over again few days later. Sometimes, I regret and wish I had not spent the time to modify it because the older version actually sounds better.
Editing is an interesting process. The creator has their own vision but someone from the outside may have a fresh, objective look at the work. While no one can go over a painting with a red pen, I have received eye-opening criticism. If the criticism doesn't feel right on, then I don't take it, or I think about it for a lot longer. One goal for earning a MFA is to learn to be one's own critic.
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