Last Sunday I gave my “Artist’s Talk” at Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery. It went well, lots of good questions. Actually, I opened it up to questions almost immediately as it was more interesting for me and seemed so to the audience as well.
One of the questions that is still lingering in my mind was about my literary interests. The question was, more or less, do those interests influence my painting. I was a lit major as an undergrad, before going to art school, was very serious about it until I realized I needed to paint. I still love to read, mostly novels, and feel naked without a book on the go. But when I am in my studio working, I am not involved with words. It’s an intuitive, emotional response to what I am working on. As well, I try to keep the titles as non-literal as possible, so they won’t be a description of the work, leave the imagination free to experience, not read, the paintings.
I thought there would be comments/questions on the title of my exhibit. But not at all. So far I’ve had a lot of smiles. After all, it’s abstract painting, not a firm, dependable product, not a result of linear thought, so, it’s not about what you think. But what it is about is a big question, a question of what is your personal experience.