I am a conduit. I do not know what I will create when I approach the canvas. It is a blank, white portal. My goal is to work in the space of Not Knowing. I adopted this term after hearing it described by artist and teacher Stewart Cubley, in his pocast series, “The Painting Experience.” I recommend it.
It was validating for me to discover that one of my painting heroes discussed her technique in the Not Knowing. Agnes Martin described her initial process as sitting quietly, waiting for “the inspiration” that would show her the finished works, in miniature. She would then make the mathematic calculations to create the size she wanted. Martin’s preferred canvas size was often 5’x5’, especially in her later years.
This is a portrait of her by Annie Liebowitz:
My best work is done in the state of Not Knowing. It is often difficult to keep my mind clear and open. I notice that I want to make rules to follow; I find myself wondering how viewers will see the work, then I go back to keeping my mind open. This happens repeatedly as I paint.
Hilma Af Klint explained that she received a commission from the spiritual plane to create a series of huge images. She produced “The Paintings for the Temple” between 1906 and 1915, which are widely considered the earliest known abstract works.
My painting practice was dominated by the creation of “Refuge” from mid-January through mid-March of this year. Symbols of climate change, the crises of refugees worldwide and the novel coronavirus pandemic emerged during the making of that piece. What do you see?
