#23: Really Big Challenges from Brooklyn

"Prayer 2"

"Prayer 2" (Detail)

"Prayer 2" (Detail)

"Did you hear . . ? "

"Did you hear . . ?" (Detail)

"Did you hear . . ?" (Detail)

"Red Tights"

"Red Tights" (Detail)

"Red Tights" (Detail)

Fellow Art Lovers:

At the outset, I want to apologize for my long silence. In fact, there are several reasons. First of all, I know that a true artist is devoted to his art above all, but I had some personal things going on. This is not the place for it, but I want you to know that these personal events were of the most positive nature. The second reason is that I've taken on some big challenges, and when I say big, I mean big.

Please look at the three paintings above. Two of the paintings - "Prayer 2" and "Did you hear . . ?" - are physically big. Compared with "Red Tights," which is 24 by 30 inches, the other two are a little larger than four foot by four foot. I wanted to throw myself into very large format, and I chose the series on Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for the change to bigger works.

I can tell you that working in such a large format is more complicated than just painting bigger. I learned that I had to change my way of thinking; I learned that a different set of rules take over. And I learned that I cannot simply boost the size from a smaller work to a larger work, as I initially tried with "Prayer 2."

And there are other things going on. I believe that I am achieving more and more freedom in my colors, brushstroke and in the ways I render objects and figures. For some reason, I believe that the very large format loosened up my work. You simply have to move more, and the act of swinging that brush around made me feel very free. Also, at least for me, when working on such a large format, there is little danger of getting fussy about achieving realistic details, which is certainly not one of my goals. I like painting that looks like painting. Seeing full brush strokes and free shapes of color give me pleasure. And I hope that they also give you - the viewer - the same pleasure. And, as far as color is concerned, the large format makes me feel freer to work in more colors.

Another thing that has been influencing me is time. I've been working on this series about Brooklyn for quite a while, for one reason or another, one reason being my dislocated finger. I see more and more proof that the farther away I am in time from my first impressions, the further away I can feel from some paintings. Of course this is true. The ideas, the impressions, the memories, the emotions are further in the past and are less real to me.

All except for the factor of emotion. Like any painter or individual, I have emotional responses to what I see, what I sketch and what I photograph. And, in so many cases, that emotion lives on in some cases with a certain intensity. Take, for example, the largest fiture in "Did you hear . . ?" I was impressed by the folds in the material of her swinging skirt. I wanted a great deal to try to get that feeling across, not the detail but the feeling. I'll bet I could wait a year and still painting that material in a convincing manner. Another example is the little girl in "Red Tights." I got such a positive feeling from seeing the mother and daughter together.

Of course, some artists work in formats exceeding four by four feet, which might even be small by some standards. But now, when I attack a larger format, I hope that my work is more successful, that is, gets the emotions across to you, the viewer, in a freer and more convincing way.

By the way, you may not hear from me for a while. For me, summers mean France, and I don't know if I'll be able to make new blog postings from there this year.

As always, I love hearing your ideas.

Thanks for listening.

Best,

William Kosman