THE SELF-ISOLATION RESIDENCY 15TH JANUARY 2021: DAY 292

New painting: "Atmospheric". Oil paint on canvas, 250 x 350 mm

19, 20, 21: Finding a reason to paint, in search of the sublime. 15 th January 2021.
Part 11: 'Interpretation, abstract, illusion. Describe what you actually see?.'

Historically it could be argued that the illusion of painting has almost been an attempt to trick the eye, trompe-l’oeil, of the spectator into the belief that the image was in fact physical. On the whole, I don’t subscribe to this as a general notion, although it has to be said that there have been instances when that argument may be considered apposite.

Much of the early history of painting revolves around the idea of painting as a form of education by illustration; this holds true for both the, probable, purpose behind early cave painting and it was certainly the motivation for the creation of all devotional art. Painting, and by default drawing, was developed to transmit ideas; it was for millennia the only means by which it was possible to pass any form of educational thesis onto an illiterate populous. Be these notions of where the richest hunting grounds could be exploited or as a method to impart to the masses the ways of the unwritten, or at the very least, the illegible ‘word’ to the illiterate.  

As a devotional art form used to ‘adorn’ sacred spaces it could be argued that painting did inhabit this paradigm of trompe-l’oeil in that the images were unquestionably conceived to edify the attendant flock in the teachings of their, particular, devotion. From this perspective what better way to reinforce these messages that by creating the credible appearance of a deity or spiritual leader emerging from the walls of these seminaries?
 
To be continued…