Minor White is said to have suggested that one should look at a photograph for 30 minutes. It seems like a long time, and if practiced, a visit to any gallery could take months to conclude. However, for one picture — just as a trial run — it seemed to be worth the effort to find out what it’s like.
The work Chevreuse II was painted between 1953-1954 by Jean Paul Riopelle (1923-2002). It is a large painting, at least 3 meters square. It dominates the space, yet it does not overwhelm.
Blurred
As I began my 30 minutes of attention I decided I would keep some notes of the thoughts as they occurred:
- An immediate and obvious interpretation of meaning is not apparent to me. If I abstract or interpret then that is my view, not necessarily that of the artist.
- I wonder what the artist intended; am I suppose to interpret? Did the artist care about what I interpreted, only that I interpreted something.
- Should I worry about finding meaning? Who cares. It’s a painting, not the constitution.
- The colours are appealing
- The paint was applied with a knife and therefore the strokes are pronounced, forceful and vivid
- The strokes offer interest; there is a lot of texture; there are a lot of straight edges; yet the pattern remains mostly random
- The green is like spring colours
- The red and orange are like autumn
- Colour around the edges. Darker in the middle
- Why is there white?
- The picture doesn’t end at the edges
- If I remove my eye glasses, the image changes character.
- The sharpness, rigidity of the stokes has blurred away; they are no longer discernable to my eyes.
- The image is less bumpy; it flows more
- It could very well be a flower garden
- It feels bright and happy
- Is this to say there are different layers of viewing? In focus and out of focus.
- Almost like a Monet.
Monet: The Rose Walk
Monet: Path Under the Rose Trellises
Monet: Water Lily Pond Evening
Leave a Reply