I am searching for shapes when moving colour on any surface. It is a normal human trait to see patterns. When I see something others tend to see something else. It is the same here in this piece that now confronts you, if you ever walk into my house.
I see a person running. The right foot is extended out and is launching out of the canvass on the lower left corner. My mother sees a fire-bird of sorts in the gold at the middle. My dad sees an exploding plane.
This Is Not A Test
This is not a Rorschach test. I doubt you can analyse someone with this image, like with ink blots. There has not been a decent sample size tested against differing neurotypes. Though I do like to see what others see in these paintings.
Often you get those who ask “what do you see?” and they try very hard to see it. My Nephew and Nieces like to tell me what they see and take great pains to make sure I see them. It involves touching the canvass, which you can get away with when your uncle painted that piece.
I usually keep a piece around for a few weeks in my lounge room. So I can chance upon a shape or a different pattern in the mix of colours. I know when something looks good, but I have been surprised when looking at it from a different angle. Suddenly you see something else.
The next step is learning the digital techniques to bring that image out. I wont try to bring what I see out of the original. That detracts from allowing others to see what they want to see. Here art can be very subjective in a way that many other parts of life cannot.
Let the Reader Read
It is a part of a maker/creators task to be able to let others play with the art. Restricting the message often restricts the audience. Narratives of any kind get changed and transformed through the readers response to them.
Open forms have their place in art and life. Interpretation is part of the game of pattern recognition. Though as we know internal and cultural bias exists. The colours and methods of application can evoke a different response due to experience and history.
Different Does Not Mean Wrong
It is easy to see other interpretations as different. There certainly was a time when I tried to be a lot more controlled with my art work. What it did was stifle my expression. In locking down on the message I restricted what my art could say. It narrowed what I did and how I did it.
In turn this narrowed my response to others who made their own minds up about it. My art was not generous because my motives were controlling and restrictive. To branch out and try another way will seem impossible. Which it did.
While there is a time to focus and produce a consistent piece. There is also a time to throw the colour around and see what comes out. What you learn in those times adds to your ability to produce and express another time. Who knows what will come from a happy accident?