This is a new painting called Path to Clarity, that made its way to the Principle Gallery in Alexandria yesterday. It’s a 6″ square piece on paper and has a clarity in its color and tone that evoked the title for me. I was looking at this piece and thought of an item that I came across lately, a test of the flexibility of the mind. I’m sure this has been around for quite some time, probably for years in circles that cover areas of psychological/cognitive testing. When I first saw iit I thought it was just a foul-up in the code for the page I was reading , a seemingly random series of numbers and letters. But seeing below that I was supposed to read it, I focused a bit and it came very easily.
Here’s the message:
7H15 M3554G3 53RV35 7O PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17, B3 PROUD! 0NLY C3R741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15. PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F U C4N R34D 7H15.
Translated:
This message serves to prove how our minds can do amazing things! Impressive things! In the beginning it was hard but now, on this line your mind is reading automatically without even thinking about it. Be proud! Only certain people can read this. Please forward if you can read this.
I don’t know if there is anything to be gained from this exercise for the general public,but it made me think about painting and art and how it communicates in very much the same way as this exercise, giving bits of data and filling the blanks with new information that translates in the mind of the viewer. I looked at this painting and it very much made sense in this context. I’m sure most people can look at this piece and immediately know what it represents. Their mind takes in the info and it makes sense and translates very easily. Their mind probably doesn’t question the white emptiness of the path, the blues of the hills or the orange and reds of the field. Their mind reads it as one might read the passage above.
What does this mean? That I really can’t tell except that it only serves as a form of validation of this work’s power as form of communication rather than something created for mere aesthetics. Not that aesthetics don’t come into play. Harmony of color and form play a large part in making the message more palatable.
Anyway, just thought it was interesting. I guess that’s good enough.
Redtree Times 