MesoAmericas & Beyond

Radiance, ribbon & flow, 30" x 44", a/c, 2011

Bruce Freedman’s paintings show an self-exploration of his mind, feeling and instincts. I’ll let his Statement do the talking:

My current paintings are composed of ovals, squares and lines. The shapes are purposely handmade in form so as to differentiate the human touch from the technological. A loose grid is used as the painting’s framework. Having this framework opens the way to explore the color and form relationships knowing that the overall effect “will take care of itself.” The essence of the work is the dynamics of color and form and how their portrayal mirrors the diversity of beauty and balancing that is the world. My hope is that the work communicates a kind of harmony (that includes dissonance) and that it reveals something of the wonder of being alive.

For me the process of painting is one of discovery and surprise. It is an activity that allows the possibility to work with the mind, feelings and body moving towards that which is of value. Painting involves the voluntary suspension of knowing in the usual sense of securing the way and teaches me to trust and live with not knowing. The slow buildup of the surface of the canvas over time reveals a “something” that could not be foreseen before starting. It is really a matter of staying with the inner attitude of receiving and listening to the painting at any particular phase and then acting accordingly. What kind of marks to make, what feels right, try this, shift that, use that color and a slight variation of it over here and on and on—all a wordless exchange between what the canvas reveals and what is felt and intuited that is needed next. The painting “becomes” as the nuances of color and vibration are experienced in the making. My “job,” besides the knowledge of craft and tools is to “listen and receive,” recognizing the inner adjustments needed at that moment and moving forward.

When I first started painting there was an immediate opening inside of energy and feeling and a new world was experienced. This was a revelation. It is still the case.

See his portfolio of work at: http://brucefreedman.net/

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I have been in my drawing class for a few months now and it is enjoyable and a challenge. The drawing here is a tie in a knot I did a few weeks ago.

My instructor is Salvatore Victor. What is interesting is he teaches to see what you are drawing, whereas we usually draw the old image in our minds of the thing that we are looking at. This allows the image to come into you and then to your paper. It is a freeing of the old images, ideas and symbols we have stuck in our minds blocking us from seeing what is in front of us.

I also read an article recently about an artist (in the true sense of the word) who put it this way:

“What I want to show in my work is the idea which hides itself behind so-called reality. I am seeking for the bridge which leads from the visible to the invisible, like the famous cabbalist who once said: ‘If you wish to get hold of the invisible, you must penetrate as deeply as possible into the visible.’ To penetrate is to go through.”

The article was about Max Beckman, Artist in Search of the Self and below are some of his works.

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Hello, through this blog I am exploring my interests, thoughts and feelings. If others find them interesting then please comment.

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