This week I posted a photo of an untitled diptych. And there were a number of comments of the interpretation of the images. Of course, I did not paint any image which was perceptible. Actually, the difficulty in being an abstract painting is to ensure that no representational form sneaks into the work. I cannot fathom how or where some of these "seen" objects come from. Yesterday evening I watched a documentary on Schizophrenia; one of the most common symptoms is seeing imaginary things which are clearly not present in reality. You laugh. I am certainly not accusing my viewers of any mental disorder; on the contrary. Imagination is the trigger for association with an image. But it did make me wary. How to engage a viewer without attaching reality to my paintings. If you like what you think you are seeing, well, that's a good reason to hang the piece in your home. But if the image you have conjured isn't pleasant to your psyche, the painting is rejected. What a fine line I walk when I choose to lay down colour, form, composition, etc. So when people claim that they can easily replicate abstract work, I challenge them. Go ahead. You will appreciate my work so much more.
