Redtree Times

Passionata–Now at West End Gallery. Corning

“It’s a tango.” Marco maneuvered me out among the dancers. “I love tangos.” “I can’t dance.” “You don’t have to dance. I’ll do that dancing.” Marco hooked an arm around my waist and jerked me up against his dazzling white suit. Then he said, “Pretend you are drowning.” I shut my eyes, and the music broke over me like a rainstorm. Marco’s leg slid forward against mine and my leg slid back and I seemed to be riveted against him, limb for limb, moving as he moved, without any will or knowledge of my own, and after a while I thought, “It doesn’t take two to dance, it only takes one,” and I let myself blow and bend like a tree in the wind. “What did I tell you?” Marco’s breath scorched my ear. “You’re a perfectly respectable dancer.”

-Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (1963)

I am busy this morning and was planning on skipping the blog today. But this song, Tango, from jazz great Diane Reeves came on and I immediately felt like it should be shared. It’s a wordless song and for Reeves the composition serves as a sculpture’s underlying armature that she fills in with her improvisational skills. I’ve heard a number of performances of this song and each has its own distinct feel. It is the same song but always unique. It almost feels new each time, and in reality, it is.

I’ve often described my painting in similar terms. There are compositions that I fall back on over and over again, but they are never really the same. There are so many varying and constantly changing factors that go into each piece that I would be hard-pressed to recreate any piece in the same way twice. The color choices change, sometimes subtly and sometimes in much more drastic ways. The textures change. My brushwork changes, often as a result of the change in my brushes as they age from use. What I see as the focus of the painting shifts, sometimes altering everything.

And to top it off, I seldom do anything exactly the same way all the time. This sometimes makes things feel exciting and new in the moment. And sometimes, it can be frustrating. Like so many things in life.

Just wish I could paint as well as Diane Reeves sings.

I have seen this song called Tango du Jour which no doubt is a nod to each performance’s uniqueness. Whatever you want to call it, it’s a tour de force. This is from a 2013 performance in Istanbul.