"Issues and land mines. . ."

Biltmore View . 18" x 18" . oil on canvas

"Leave all issues and land mines at the front door."

 ~ Lisa Borgnes Giramonte

Such a simple thing. . .really.  When you are a guest do not leave your civility at the door.  Maybe it was the impending full moon (I am dagnabbit, a water sign!) - maybe the close quarters for four days, turkey hangover, or any other excuse I can possibly think of - but here's the skinny:  Gigi (me) was not on her best behavior at Thanksgiving and deserved a time out. . .like go sit in the corner time out.  I swear I could hear a collective sigh of relief wafting from the car when I was dropped off in downtown Charleston for a few hours of alone time. . .time to visit art galleries to my heart's desire. 

I skipped off without looking back and their screeching, escaping tires filled the air with a reminder of my transgressions!   Just kidding - or not!  My "kids" (daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter) are saints and instead of sending me to my room without my supper, they gave me a free pass.  Lord have mercy.

The old "museum stun gun" set in after a while. . .you know, your eyes glaze over with the stimulation of it all.  Soon you feel quite robotic as you float from one painting to another working hard at "seeing." 

Artists, I believe, look for edges, brushstrokes, color, composition, background, frames, signatures - the list goes on and on. Subject matter. What? Why?   

  
But truthfully, I was waiting for and anticipating the moment when I would be swept away with "OMG" in the most transcendent way.  Art has the capacity to overwhelm and rush the senses in such an unexplainable, yet universal way, does it not?  I can't put words to it, but you know it when you feel it/see it - it will speak to you, simply and plainly.  

So now I will once again step upon toes - yes, issues and land mines - dare I say it?  That not one painting spoke to me in the Charleston galleries!  I was nose to canvas with the "masters" of today - those painters who I lust after in the top art publications - only to NOT feel moved.  Don't get me wrong. . .it was immensely satisfying, but I was longing to be thrilled.  Might I go one step deeper into this dangerous mine field and say that quite a few paintings seemed to photograph and present better than they actually looked?  That's very understandable with the advancement of technology just fingertips away.  I realize this may be a very controversial point, so I will just leave it at that.  

True confession:  at the last gallery, I managed to nick the soft underbelly of the young, energetic curator as she explained the "inner meaning" behind the exhibited paintings in a current show. 

 

 (I most often don't tell gallery tenders that I paint - I'm there to simply view, to be quiet and to feel humbled.) 

But galleries are there to win me over and I so understand that. . .I will patiently listen as they rattle off an artist's resume or wax poetic over the work, before I've even had a chance to peek at it, let alone respond to it.  It's their huge responsibility and God bless the gallery folk.  In a moment of wanting to just absorb on my own, I broke my own rule and mentioned that I paint and shyly intimated that she need not work to win me over.  Ouch.  She said she just liked to talk about painting.  Ah. . .there was the proverbial fork in the road. 

I DON'T like to talk about painting.  I guess you could say I'm an intuitive painter. . .you won't find hidden meaning or deep process in what I do, nor any wag to making a statement on modern culture, disease, or deep trauma.  Oh dear, does that mean I'm not a seeker?  I just AM?  An "empty" vessel?  Huh, now that I think of it, I believe she was trying to explain the whole womanhood, empty vessel thing to me - oh wow!  A woman of a certain age who lives alone with a LOT of living and dying under her belt - kind of funny! 

Not to take anything away from those who are on that journey in their art making - in fact, I'm in awe of those who can reach out into the Universe and pull all that meaning into their work - whether as goal or inspiration. 

Whew. . .it has a tendency to make me feel "less than."  Another confession! 

I'm also well aware that art has healing benefits - another one of its many mysterious facets.

Can you proclaim artistry without gimmick, creation without deep meaning, dark or otherwise?  Does that make it more or less interesting to the masses, or better yet, the buying public?  Why do we search for deeper meaning in anything?  Is it because we aren't satisfied with just mere existence?  Can we tell genuine from selling point?  What am I missing here?  Obviously a lot of questions - if you have any answers, I'm here to listen AND learn.  

I promise to leave my issues and land mines at the door, but I swear (and perhaps apologize NOW) that the full moon has me howling a little more than usual!