What is the “right” way to hang an abstract? Is it the artist’s choice – the viewer’s choice – the hanger’s choice? The painting “Into the Blazing Hills” is one thing – the title telling you what I see. Inverted, I see “Upward to the Beyond” – moving toward the other side. What is the other side?
Putting my digital signature on this one gives it a different sort of reality – the signature grounds the painting and says “this is the bottom so upward is the top.” What is the top? What is the bottom?
Sideways, the painting does nothing for me, with the yellows on the left or right, but yellows on the top or bottom create a totally different feeling, but somehow the feeling is right. I will say, the yellows on the bottoms are more disconcerting and unsettling to me than when it is on the top. So, upset or comfort?
If I were to critique this at all, I would find this painting bottom-heavy in yellow, and moving upward it seems as if there are trees silhouetted against the sky. However, there is all this stuff in between, and it lacks the harmony, I think, that “Into the Blazing Hills” has. Perhaps it is the ability for me to recognize my surroundings – the hills of California – with either a sky and brilliant, blazing sunset – or a wildfire encroaching a bit of paradise, destruction being moments away.
This is going to take time – maybe both are “right” – and perhaps the middle chaos in this painting is okay but needs a path of some kind to lead the eye upward.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 