The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.
– Ludwig Wittgenstein
I immediately recognized a relevancy for my own work when I read the words of Wittgenstein’s quote, shown above. I have always maintained (actually, hoped) that the strength of my best work has been in its simplicity of expression and use of familiar iconography, imagery that finds an immediate and deep rooted connection in many viewers. Simple and elemental, stripped of detail but not meaning.
I think this new piece, an image of about 8″ by 18″ on paper, fits into this description. On first examination, this is a very simple piece. It is stark in it rendering. Simple lines and shading, with hardly any detail and only a bit of color. The contrast of the red sun/moon dominates the center of this piece and brings everything into focus, moving the eye far forward into the scene, creating a sense of depth that shrouds the viewer. The rising trees on either side further funnel the concentration inward. This focus creates a meditative atmosphere, for me at least, and that speaks to the aspects of things that are most important for us, as Wittgenstein put it. The whole of this piece is greater than the sum of its parts.
Or its merely a simple composition, pleasant to look upon. Its all in the eye and mind of the beholder.
Redtree Times 