ABSTRACT & TEXTURE

Abstract (in art) adjective  ab·stract  \ab-ˈstrakt, ˈab-ˌ\: expressing ideas and emotions, apart from an object, by using elements such as color, texture, and lines.*

“Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes. It is the emancipation of the mind.
It is an exploration into unknown areas.”
― Arshile Gorky

“Art should look like art, trees and flowers and people, not weird shapes and splotches of color all smeared together.”
― Jennifer Estep

Yes, it is true. Every picture is worth a thousand words. It is also true that those thousand words tell a thousand different stories.

A photo imprint on film—or the camera’s digital sensor— is a solitary, captured moment, a frozen frame in a pristine setting. The focal length, aperture, ISO, and shutter speed does not vary according to the viewer. It is pure, objective content.

Not so with our human sensor. Our interpretations are not pristine. They are messy, cluttered, filled with blurred and faded images. Some of the exposures are delightful, some not so much. Millions of fragments make up our sensors, our brains, and our essence. So, when a new captured moment joins with what we already know, it quickly morphs from a solitary and uniform moment into part of a lifelong, collective experience. This collective experience places raw, subjective content into context. The frozen moment is now relevant. It is subjective.

Every photo, exposure, and form of stimuli has this interaction with our human nature. However, an undefined image—an experience—that is abstract and beyond the boundaries of universal context, can be profound. It can strike a nerve. It has the power to move us from intellectual, beyond emotional, to a moment of deep visceral engagement. The stagnant content now has slipped past contextual clarity. It has personal meaning.

In this collection I present objective abstract content. The rest is up to your human sensor to define.

*NOTE: Abstract or contemporary art is not for everyone. It can be confusing, irritating, and—for some—this category is plain boring and a waste of time. Some of this is by the design and intent of the artist.

 The same can be said for music. There are those who are transcended by progressive jazz or heavy metal. For others, both genres are just noise.

Or, think in terms of movies or books you like. Some have a sharply defined story line and happy ending. Others leave you scratching your head, questioning the author or director’s intent.

 I still replay parts of Casablanca, Shawshank Redemption, Citizen Kane, and The Godfather. I’ve read Steinbeck, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy Caddy Shack. I did. I also chuckle at Laurel and Hardy and old Mad magazines.

 Each category or collection has its place. Neither is better or worse than the other.

 Different strokes.