I read an article regarding an exhibit of the conceptual artists of the 60s and 70s. largely all live or recorded performances. The writer seemed to avoid the language of theatre or film reviews as long as possible, but eventually had to acknowledge that his response was mainly to the theatrical elements of the performances. It got me thinking about the differences in visual art and drama.

The theater involves much more verbal activity, but it includes much visual activity also. I thought of the stage sets and film scenery as well as the costumes and expressions of the actors. Oddly I remembered reading an Edward Hopper description of one of his paintings in which he referred to the painting in terms of a stage.

I have no objection to mingling of the arts, but I feel that painting and sculpture are different in that they involve a deliberate attempt to stop time for the viewer if not for the artist. While drama may make us stop and think in way, we kind of have to do it afterwards. The drama moves at its pace, and we are forced to keep up with it. A painting can be looked at as long as we please. If it is on our wall we can come back to it as often as we like.

I was told a few months ago that a young woman had stood an hour looking at one of my paintings, and I took it as a sign of success. I also realized how few paintings I really look at thoroughly, and how many I pass by with barely a glance.

All these thoughts are kind of obvious, maybe mundane. It just reminds me that we have to put in a lot of time and thought to fill the painting with enough to grab and keep our own attention as well as the viewer.  I think sometimes I unconsciously decide that the painting I am working on is turning out to be one of those that people will just walk by and get in a hurry to finish it. My best work usually gives me a feeling that I don’t care if it ever ends; although sometimes there is that thought that I had better stop before I ruin it.

I hope you all are looking at or working on one of those special paintings that is always telling us new things or things we have forgotten to remember.