2021 creek oil 8 / by Philip Tarlow

6:11 PM: now that a few hours have passed, i’m seeing this new one as a breakthrough of sorts. it works as an abstraction, and it also works as a representational image, with the faces and hands interacting with the rocks and tree branches. as an abstraction, archille gorky comes to mind, with his roving, bouncy geomorphic shapes. turning it from a vertical to a horizontal composition played a significant role in allowing it to shake free of the constraints imposed by following a plan, consciously or not.

can you relate this to something in your life?

3:03 PM: i know i’m driving you nuts with these changes, but in my 3/26 post i titled the 66x16” painting i started that day new ano kato oil 66x16”. at that point i thought i was launching into a series based on my ano kato paintings. as it turns out, it’s more accurate to continue with new series titled 2021 creek oils. this one started out as a vertical, with elements of photos shot from above in MOMA and space gallery, denver.

today it became a horizontal composition, with more creek inspired features than ano kato inspired. if i simply follow my gut and let my plotting mind have a rest, it all comes together. usually.

i think this one has some passages, such as the ones on the right & left, that work really well, and other areas that are still forming. i think i’ll call it a day & go back to the house, so i’ll resume work tomorrow morning. it should be a brighter day, which always helps my work.

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