What shows
how little
we know?
What can be is
oft far less than
what we expect.
What is now
has never been
what it was.
07/25/2024 j.g.l.
value beyond
Simplicity.
Is there emotion in austerity?
Humanity?
What do you see when attempting
to define your limited visibility?
Minimalism, abstract impressionism
or incorporeal thought.
Less is more, but is it enough?
Texture, tone, and value beyond
your current scene. If you take it to an
extreme, you will question
what it means.
What is really there?
What line do you cross?
Can simplicity be complicated, or
should it even be attempted?
07/23/2024 j.g.l.
Mondays are just young Fridays
Things will not go as planned. Intentions will be disrupted, even overlooked, in the aftermath of an unexpected reality.
Where you are headed will not be the place you end up, undoubtedly or undeniably. No matter how hard you attempt to make each gesture, brushstroke, promise, prayer, or pastime as perfect as you believe it can be, many times you will not arrive at a perceived destination. All too often your endeavors never hit the mark; at times your work may be better than expected (celebrate those moments), but everything (even your judgement) is subjective.
You are not limited to, or by, the colours in your paintbox or progression of your process.
Imagination is as limited or expansive as you want it to be. Give it time to blossom; in certain instances, you may even have to reel it in. This is all about possibilities, no matter which media, method, or style you are beholden to.
You owe your art (or life) nothing but your presence; the value comes from the practice, as rudimentary or spontaneous as it is or will become.
07/22/2024 j.g.l.
I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Mondays are just young Fridays
Posted on September 2, 2019 by j.g.lewis
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When lost for words, we seek direction.
We attempt to explain all that cannot be explained as we would describe an abstract painting.
We try to resolve, or justify, the mystery in technical terms or offer random comparisons to peers and periods, instead of simply giving in to the emotional appeal of the subject at hand.
In doing so we struggle to make logical the abstract, when that — by its very nature — is not sustainable. To demystify the abstract is to lessen the impact.
By oversimplifying the overwhelming magnificence of a Picasso, Kandinsky, or Riopelle down to a brushstroke is to ignore the relationship of angles, the depth of each hue of pigment, and the feverishly original thought.
It is like purposely trying to make the beautiful seem banal, simply because we feel it might be easier to deal with.
What is there to explain?
No everything can be put into words.
It is what it is.
09/02/2019 j.g.l.
