The deeper the blue becomes, the more strongly it calls man towards the infinite, awakening in him a desire for the pure and, finally, for the supernatural… The brighter it becomes, the more it loses its sound, until it turns into silent stillness and becomes white.
–Wassily Kandinsky
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Certain colors always raise a strong visceral response from me. I think my use of reds and yellows is evidence of this as is my affinity for the color blue, which I’ve discussed here. Maybe Kandinsky hits the mark with his words: it calls man towards the infinite, awakening in him a desire for the pure and, finally, for the supernatural.
I know for myself those are feelings that often are driven forward when I work with the color blue. There is often a contemplative feeling, one that wonders at the unknown, that infinite, that we seek, that comes with the color. I see it in the painting at the top.
Called Blue Awakening, this 18″ by 24″ painting on panel has a simplified and almost naive appearance at first glance. But the blue of the sky set against the pale whiteness of the moon changes the piece from a folksy vignette to one of meditative wonderment. The Red Tree here takes on a glow that speaks of a new understanding or acceptance of its place and purpose in the universe. It represents a true awakening of the spirit for me.
The interesting thing for me is that there is not a tremendous amount of blue in the painting. There are a few tones throughout the lower landscaped half of the painting and much of the sky are tones that move away from blue. But the blue that is there commands the space, creating the overall feeling of the piece. Such is the power of blue.
This painting is, of course, part of my solo show, Home+Land, which is now hanging at the West End Gallery and opens with a reception tomorrow evening from 5-7:30. The show runs from July 17 until September 4, 2015 and there is a Gallery Talk on Saturday, August 1. More info on that in the next couple of weeks.
Redtree Times 