Frieze Masters 2013

I am so glad that I made it to the Frieze Masters today. It has inspired me so much that I want to write a blog about it.

The two galleries - De Jonckheere and Johnny Van Haeften - that I favoured the most in TEFAF 2013 - both exhibited at Frieze Masters this year. Again, they were still the best. The quality of almost all of their works were so consistently high that they gave you such an feeling of assurance of their works. And both of them specialize mainly in Northern paintings of the Renaissance and the 17th century. Last time in TEFAF, De Jonckheere Gallery impressed me the most with Pieter Brueghel the Younger's The inn St. Michel's (Fig. 1), Gijsbrecht Leytens' Winter Landscape (Fig. 2), and Adam and Eve (Fig. 3), etc. Most of the paintings were of such high quality equaling the museum pieces and were so unique in their composition and depiction that you rarely came across anywhere else. The composition of the northern paintings could be so random and creative and the representation sometimes a bit caricatured and fantasized, which makes them almost look like a modern picture or cartoon.

Fig. 1 The inn St. Michel's, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger's 

Fig. 2 Winter Landscape, by Gijsbrecht Leytens

Fig. 3 Adam and Eve, by the Master of the Embroidered Foliage

This time, at Frieze Masters, it was Johnny Van Haeften that struck me the most. It kept on acquiring some really good works. My favourite was a very small piece: Pieter Brueghel the Younger's Pissing at the Moon. It is of such an unusual subject as well as the composition. It plays with the Flemish Proverb that means to waste one's time on a futile endeavour. The colours are good. The details are fine. The composition - with the man pissing as the main subject and occupying most of the picture space - is truly unusual and modern-looking. The other work also by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Spring (Fig. 4), showing people ploughing the land, is full of breath of life. The little dots of red, yellow, and white flowers in the foreground are so lovely and touching to me. Those are the details of life that probably only Northern artists would enjoy and depict. Willem van de Velde the Younger's Shipping in a Calm offshore with Figures on the Shore by a Rowing Boat, a Man-of-War lying off (Fig. 5) is such a common depiction of seashore and ship scene, but it stood out into my eyes, because when viewed closely, the extremely refined details on the panel were really extraordinary; not every painting of this subject would achieve such quality.

Fig. 4 Spring, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger

Fig. 5 Shipping in a Calm offshore with Figures on the Shore by a Rowing Boat, a Man-of-War lying off, by Willem van de Velde the Younger's 

Back at home, when I read the Financial Times, there was an article about Johnny Van Haeften's The Census at Bethlehem (Fig. 6) by Pieter Brueghel the Younger. It was the very big-scale painting hung at the centre of the gallery space at Freize Masters, drawing the public's attention. People watched it, talked about it, and used the large magnifying glass provided by the gallery to scrutinize it. It is the most sensational piece at Frieze Master this year, because it has been totally unknown for 400 years, because among the 14 versions of The Census at Bethlehem of Pieter the Younger, it is almost the closest, most characteristic one of Pieter the Elder, and because it is of exceptional high quality and 'amazingly good' condition. Reading the newspaper, I also came to know that it was actually the first time that Johnny Van Haeften exhibited at Frieze Masters, and that TEFAF and Frieze were the only two fairs that the gallery had exhibited at - Johnny Van Haeften said he was not an enthusiast of art fairs. I feel so lucky that I have visited the gallery at both the fairs and that it has drawn me such an attention.

Fig. 6 The Census at Bethlehem, Pieter the Younger

Another two galleries that were also standing out were Koetser and Richard Green. Interestingly, the works of them that I found the best were also Netherlandish ones. Koetser was always good and it kept presenting Giuseppe Arcimboldo's works, which drew most of the public attention. Its still life paintings were also of quite high quality. I was again struck by the extremely fine details of Jan Brueghel the Younger (?). His painting was so extraordinarily refined that definitely not every other still life painters could have achieved. Richard Green usually presents a broad range of paintings. This time, quite unusual to me, it exhibited some fine works of Sebastian Vrancx with again the vigor and joy of everyday life as well as the work of Aert van der Neer with his beautiful rendering of moonlight in the mysterious night scene.

The Northern Europe has such a fascinating history of art, with its extraordinary rendering of detail and nature, the humble and lively depiction of joy, sorrow, and labour work of everyday life with rich symbolism and proverbs - all the love for nature and life is touching indeed. Northern paintings are always so true to nature, never hesitant to reveal the realistic and the imperfect, but they also exaggerate and fantasize nature, creating imaginary and visionary views with abundant details and great originality. I'm also thinking about what it is in art that moves me so much. Today in Frieze Masters, it is the details that touches me and draws me to it. It is something technical - the fine details, and it is also talked about ironically sometimes that these fine details are simply imitation of nature, but I'm amazed how it could fascinate us that much. Other elements that I am thinking of that could touch us are beauty and harmony, like some of the Impressionist works, the colour and form, like Kandinsky's works. I think it is never a single element that draws us to art, it is a combination, a combination of all the aesthetic, stylistic aspects and personal attributes: the technique, the aesthetic eye, the emotion, the aspiration, and the heart behind. But the true masters have the gifts given by God.

Helen and Paris by David

BEFORE traveling to Paris at the beginning of April, I was worried about visiting too many museums and works in such a short time, because I want to examine the masterpieces slowly, I need time to absorb them, and I treasure the moment and the feeling when I see a work for the first time. However by the end, even though I did need to go pass some great works very quickly and some masterpieces might be neglected and overshadowed by other more brilliant ones, the visit still gave me new inspirations that led a new direction to go in my life. This time, it is the work The Loves of Helen and Paris (Fig. 1) by Jacques-Louis David in the Louvre. The influence is deep.

Fig. 1 The Loves of Helen and Paris, 1788, by Jacques-Louis David, Musée du Louvre, Paris

FALLING in love with David is something unexpected. Whenever I saw his Oath of the Horatti (Fig. 2) on the textbook or the screen before, I thought it is something historical, political, and revolutionary, but I didn’t see reasons I could love it more, since I thought I would love those with romantic subjects more. However, walking into the hall of David’s paintings in the Louvre, it totally changed my mind.

Fig. 2 Oath of the Horatti, 1784, by Jacques-Louis David, Musée du Louvre, Paris

It is the colour that captured my eyes first. The colours are not bright or sharp; they are rather pastel and very harmonious. The more I looked at it, the palette appeared more appealing to me. It made me feel so comfortable and reassuring that I wanted to gaze at them for long.

Then it is the composition. As is well known, David’s composition is brilliant. The compositional design is clearly seen. The painterly space is well defined by the architecture and the grouping of the people. No matter how many people are included in the painting or how big an event he is trying to depict, the spatial arrangement is always good, never too crowded nor scarce. That makes him so competent to depict grand historical scenes as well as indoor scenes with fewer people. And in the picture of historical events, there is always the sense of grandeur and full of masculinity. Here, I have to mention The Intervention of the Sabine Women (Fig. 3) . The composition, the crowds of people are again well managed by the frieze-like arrangement, the different degree of the sharpness of figures in the foreground and the background, and the emphasis of the several leading figures at the front. Hersilia, the girl in the middle dominates the whole canvas, whom I especially like. Her gesture is exaggerated, but is so powerful and elegant in a masculine way. She seems to not only control the tragic event by trying to stop the war, but also stretching out her arms, with her feet standing steadily, to direct and separate the whole canvas space, which is so interesting and effective. The white stands out too, feminine, pure, and peaceful. This painting shows the beauty of a female in a very different way; this special representation renders such a beautiful and powerful effect. I love it.

Fig. 3 The Intervention of the Sabine Women, 1796-99, by Jacques-Louis David, Musée du Louvre, Paris

Thirdly, it is the classicism. The classical architecture that helps form the background and the composition has beauty in its own. It fits the classical subjects, the classical-looking figures and draperies; and the dark neutral background also fits in with the pastel colour palette. Everything looks very harmonious and perfect. I tend to like and revere the classical elements more and more, because of their grandeur, their elegance, and their modesty, from which I start learning to appreciate the beauty of the classicism, the aesthetics that David adores and brings back to honor. David’s paintings let me know that it is not only the romantic ideas that could fascinate me, but the pure beauty of classicism could also capture my heart so much.

Finally, it is the romance in David. The one painting that is so different from others of David is The Loves of Helen and Paris (Fig. 4). It is not different as to its general style, but it is different in its mythological subject, its romance, and its very simple composition with very few figures. It is a relatively small canvas and it seems lighter in its historical weight than other paintings of David, but it stands out beautifully into my eyes.

Fig. 4 The Loves of Helen and Paris (detail), 1788, by Jacques-Louis David, Musée du Louvre, Paris

AFTER I came back from my traveling, I was still very obsessed with it for a long time. It is neoclassical in style, but it is also very romantic in a sense. The tenderness, romance, rosy colour, and curving form at the centre of the painting, and the heaviness, steadiness, coolishness, and straightness of the classical architecture merge perfectly into each other, forming a romantic while solemn scene. The lovers, with certain melancholy in Helen’s facial expression, make their romance not purely a sweet and carefree one. The heaviness and other philosophical implications of it make its beauty more long-lasting and contemplative than, like, Rococo romance.

I read into the symbolism, myths, and classical references of the painting, all of which enrich the meaning and elevate my understanding to a new level, and they make me totally obsessed with classicism – this time, not just the neo-classicism of David, but the real classicism of ancient Greece and Rome, the myths, epics, sculptures and wall paintings. Reading the gods’ stories, I am touched and excited. The narrative itself, even not in a poetic form, is like a song full of rhythm and beauty. It makes me want to follow the rhythm to read the poetic narratives. The culture of the ancient Greek seems not totally spiritual or didactic, but there is always a sense of romance associated, no matter if it is a love story, comedy, or tragedy. Gods are not perfect beings; with desire and wrath, betrayal and revenge, they reveal their human sides.

The ancient sculptures and wall paintings are as well, showing high level of naturalism and elegance. Not until I looked at some of the sculptural works had I not realized how similar the figures in the classicized paintings resemble the ancient sculptures. I thought the beauty of Helen and Paris is of David’s own creativity, but actually they all have prototypes long before in the history, at least as inspiration. And the more I look at them comparatively, the more I see how close they are in their posture, volume, muscularity, hairstyle, and facial beauty, almost everything. Gradually I even feel that the figures in the paintings seem to be the Greek statues or relieves having been removed from their original site to the canvas instead of being painted by a more recent hand. Helen in this painting is actually resembling the pose of an Athenian relief: Athena Mourning (Fig. 5), especially her feet. By imitating Athena, David also implies the sadness of Helen and alludes to the tragedy of Troy^[1]. Another classical reference is the setting of the painting. David uses a real contemporary scene as the background of the painting – the caryatid room by Jean Goujon (1510-1572) in the Louvre (Fig. 6) which was used in the 1780s to exhibit the royal collection of Greek and Roman sculpture, to pay homage to the French Renaissance sculptor Goujon, whose Fountain of the Innocents (Fig. 7) was rescued from demolition and moved in the 1780s^[2]. The reliefs of the nymphs on the Fountain are so intricate and beautiful. Their postures and draperies are much more complex than those of Helen and Paris. I am astonished at their beauty and high craftsmanship of the sculptor; they are high point of the classicism of Renaissance art.

Fig. 5  Athena Mourning

Fig. 6 The caryatid room in the Louvre, by Jean Goujon

Fig. 7 Reliefs on Fountain of the Innocents, 1547-50, by Jean Goujon

Through neoclassicism, I learn to appreciate the beauty of the antique sculptures and start to truly understand the spirit of classicism. It is also through the comparison that I feel amazed at how fundamental the influence the culture of ancient Greece and Rome has on the art and culture of the West throughout the history. David’s art has opened a door for me, and I’m starting to explore more the poetry and romance of the Greek culture.


References:
[1] Dorothy Johnson, David to Delacroix: The Rise of Romantic Mythology (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2011), pp. 31-32.
[2] Ibid., p. 30

In love with Renoir in l'Orangerie

WALKING into the corridor on Level -1 of Musée de l’Orangerie and glancing at the first few paintings on the wall (Fig. 1, 2, 3), I was astonished and couldn’t help but say ‘wow’. I’ve never seen Renoir’s figure painting like these, so beautifully and perfectly done that I couldn’t believe my eyes. I gazed at them, tears bursting into my eyes.

Fig. 1 Portrait de deux fillettes, 1890-1892

Fig. 2 Jeunes Filles au piano, about 1892

Fig. 3 Femme à la lettre, about 1890

I had seen Renoir’s river scene, woodland, and figures in outdoor settings, but I hadn’t seen such painting of young girls occupying most of the picture space in an interior setting, with background painted in an abstract, almost unfinished way. The whole painting is so softly painted. The colour palette is so harmonious and warm. The girls’ hairs are especially beautiful, with the interplay of different colours and the darkness and light, running down so softly and looking so real. When watching closely, some locks of hair even shines under the reflection of the light, exactly like the effect we get in real life under the light. Clothes are also floating like water. All the still lives in Renoir’s painting are flowing in beauty and vibrancy.

Another fantastic aspect is Renoir’s background. Except for Young Girls at the Piano (Fig. 2) in l’Orangerie, in which the background is unfinished since the painting is the first sketch of the six versions, many of Renoir’s other paintings of female figures also have these kind of expressive, almost unfinished background, with only stripes or patches of colours, yet the real objects in the background hardly distinguishable. However, such background, to me, is indeed beautiful. Renoir seems not to have totally eliminated the representational depiction; from his patterns and stripes of colours that form the background, we could still roughly sense the silhouette and texture of the objects, figuring out that behind the figures it is probably a curtain, furniture, or the edge of a wall. However, everything in the background seems to be blurred and reduced to only colours, and only warm colours, in Renoir’s eyes. We could see that it is Renoir’s intentional design, and the colour combination of the background is really harmonious and beautiful. The special effect of the background and the colour scheme of the whole painting make me feel that Renoir is such a colourist.

The Impressionist artists were so endeavoring to capture the real moments of nature or modern life that they sometimes neglected the beauty and harmony of the picture. They sacrificed beauty for truth. Many of the early Impressionist works are just like experimentation or statement of a new technique and spirit, but the treatment of colours and forms is not always attractive and the transition between river, ground, and sky sometimes seems abrupt. The green grass and blue sky that have been frequently depicted by the Impressionists seem to be more realistic than beautiful. Monet only went back to studio to work on his painting more in order to achieve better harmony in his later career.

Renoir, with his distinct quality of brushwork - the softness - and his attention to the colour harmony, gives his paintings a special texture and harmonious quality that is different from any other Impressionists. Here, we no longer see the very realistic depiction of green grass and blue sky, but a warm setting of interior, less naturalistically painted, but beautifully done. Everything is tender, warm and pleasant. And the whole painting seems to flow slowly. The softness and warmth touch me so much and the beauty of the females and of the whole flowing palette almost melts my heart. Just like what Renoir himself has said: For me, a picture has to be an amiable, joyous and pretty thing. Yes, there’re enough bothersome things in life without us making more. I noticed it’s difficult to persuade people that a painting can be great painting and still be joyous. Renoir’s beauty is warm, sweet and joyous, but looking at it more, it is almost sensuous and dreamlike. 

INTERESTINGLY, Renoir’s still life painting attracted me even more unexpectedly (Fig. 5). I had rarely seen Renoir’s still life paintings, and I had always been less keen on still life paintings which look so naturalistic and all the same. However, Renoir’s still lives are so attractive to me. I was surprised that Renoir’s special way of painting suits still life so well. His soft, flowing brushworks render the flowers a sensuous effect. His warm and harmonious colour scheme brings the same warmth, vibrancy and beauty to the plants as to his figures, and with the floral subject, the painting becomes even more decorative. And the curving, flowing brushstrokes give them vitality, not in Van Gogh’s struggling way, but in Renoir’s tender and warm way. Renoir himself also enjoyed still life painting in the way that he did not bring the same tension of mind to them that he did to the models, so that he could boldly tried out values when painting flowers. Still life is no longer simply a similarly naturalistic representation, but has in Renoir’s hand become real beauty and art, with vitality and spontaneity. 

The wonderful thing about Renoir is that his unique way of painting fit almost all subject matters: landscape, figure, interior, still life, etc. and with his talented balance of the main subject and the background, treatment of colour and brushwork, his unique style of painting and distinct effect of brushwork never seem excessive or unharmonious.

Fig. 5 Bouquet de tulipes, about 1905-1910 

RENOIR’S care about harmony and beauty of art, not just truth, may also come from his reverence for Old Masters and his focus on technical proficiency. He had said something that I feel strongly agree and that also could refer to the situation of the contemporary art now. ‘In fact, we know nothing. We’re sure of nothing. But when we look at works of the Old Masters, we shouldn’t be so sure of ourselves. What admirable craftsmen these people were above all. Why? Simply because they knew their job. Painting isn’t daydreaming. It’s manual work that has to be done conscientiously. Today we’re all geniuses or so we think. One thing is certain, we no longer know how to draw a hand and know hardly anything about our job. It’s because they knew their craft that the Old Masters were able to obtain such marvelous effects and the limpid colour … we’re vainly trying to find.’ And in his later career, Renoir even aimed at becoming a painter of classical figure worthy of Old Masters.

Art to me is not just about idea and innovation, but in essence, it is always about beauty and it requires craftsmanship. Old Masters always put painstaking efforts in creating a piece of art, and that’s why the art of the Old Masters always has a sense of heaviness and grandeur in it, and arouses our admiration and reverence. With homage to Old Masters, Renoir tried to achieve the mission of art through technical mastery and his unique rendering of colours and lines. He is like a great combination of the refinement of Old Masters and the new technique of modernism

Emily Patrick: lost in nature

ON the afternoon of March 1, I walked into a gallery where there was an exhibition of Emily Patrick. Beautiful paintings of flowers, leaves and landscapes were hung on the wall. Brushworks are sketchy, without losing the clarity and delicacy. Colors are gentle and pleasant. Titles are interesting and clever. Going back upstairs, I opened the catalogue on the table. After reading the words written by the artist herself, I was totally drawn to her world.

'On gentle walks, I was able to enter reveries, experiencing more moments of pure beauty and joy than before. I returned wanting to paint pictures that would give my audience moments such as I was having. Then, I though, I would be a great painter. My ambition felt fresh, I walked tall with excitement.

That summer I was eaten up by pictures. The glory of outside driving me to paint on and on. I was trying to catch the ecstatic feeling of lying in grass, lost in the vastness above and around.’

The very beginning of the passage soon grabbed my heart. It reminded me of the many moments of reveries I had experienced in nature. I treasured the feelings so much and I revered the artist who had a real heart for nature and wanted to transfer that ecstatic moment to others through art. It is a true moment of existence, and it is one of the greatest purposes of art.

Writing is a similar way of expression to art. You want to record the exact feeling of the exact moment, but it is a moment that is so spontaneous and true that when it comes down to word, it becomes difficult to retain the same naturalism of feeling and thought, because of the disturbance of other considerations and thoughts. Then it loses the truth, simplicity, and beauty of the original moment. Art seems to be the same, except that the thoughts and feelings are instead expressed through colors and shapes. That is exactly what the artist discusses later in the paragraph, which made me even more excited.

'However, trying to remember that moment of ecstasy can blind you to the subject; an artist’s understanding and sympathy are lost when he thinks about himself. He loses his power to love, celebrate and represent nature...

Looking back over my work, I think that the richest, best paintings are often those that I do in a far more humble state of mind. Sometimes, when all around seems hectic, too much, I withdraw to find comfort and serenity in the intimate scrutiny of a fragment from the natural world, say a beetroot. Focusing completely on the subject allows me to break free and the more I lose myself, the more eloquent the paintwork becomes. The ‘voice’ of the painting can become stronger than the ‘voice’ that I had originally seen and while it may talk of the subject sometimes it also takes to a flight of the spirit.'

I loved the genuine discussion, this self-retrospection into the process of making art, and the pursuit of the perfect transference of beauty to the canvas. I was so interested to know that she found out that a humble mind with less thinking of herself but more of the subject will lead to a better work.

All these have attracted me so much and explain the reasons I want to write for the contemporary artists – to speak on their behalves, to unveil more meaning of their art, and to let more people know about their great attitudes toward art and life.


THE uniqueness of Emily’s art comes from her brushwork and color. Her brushwork is trick, sketchy, and free, reminiscent of Impressionism, but seemingly with more different directions and freedom of strokes. She starts her career as a portraitist. However, her passion for nature and her unique way of expression seem to lead her to more paintings of landscapes and still lives. The loose and sketchy brushwork brings to the painting a good resemblance of the natural atmosphere, which especially suits her depiction of the nature.

Always when I look into her landscape painting, I feel as if I could sense the wind, the flavor, and the freshness of nature through the overlapping of the strokes of different directions, widths, and degrees of the same color. Interestingly, though the general approach is sketchy, in some of the paintings one could still feel the delicacy of grass and leaves, which is so naturalistic and touching that makes me want to stare at them for long time. (Fig. 1)

Fig. 1 Bounding Grass, 2011 (Oil and Tempera on Panel 81.5 x 61cm)
Copyright © 2013 Emily Patrick

Strokes are bold, whereas the color of her art is usually soft and pastel. Even the bright colors bring a feeling of tenderness. Putting the brushwork and the color together, her paintings render a free and gentle touch. Both boldness and softness of the heart of the artist could be sensed. For me, the paintings are not just a general impression of reality; instead, they are true recording of natural scenes and feelings in a freely executed way.

Emily not only falls for the beauty of nature, but also embraces the wildness and even dirt in nature. She cares about the current situation of the natural environment, expressing her concern that 'it feels as though every surviving inch of the antique outside is to be destroyed'. Her landscapes record the surviving pieces of nature that has become less and less in a modern world.

The color combination of some of her still life paintings is brilliant, especially those set against a wall. The color of the flowers and the color of the wall form a harmonious contrast. You will feel that it is not simply a copy of life, but a rearrangement and recreation of beauty in life. (Fig. 2)

Fig. 2 Anemones and Blue Wall, 2010 (Oil and Tempera on Panel 60.9 x 60.9cm)
Copyright © 2013 Emily Patrick

The meeting of the inside and outside lives is a recurring and interesting idea. Against the window, the plant inside always has translucent quality with the help of the sunlight. The sunlight, shining through the leaves, makes them transparent and brilliant, and the color is very vibrant, as if the real plant and sunlight are in front of your eyes. The branches outside the window leaning toward the inside, through loose brushworks, seem to bring with them the wind and sunlight to greet the pants inside, as if they couldn’t wait to bring the freshness and vitality to their friend. It is like a moment of communication, a communication of the different life experience inside and outside. It is a moment of resuming new life. (Fig. 3)

Fig. 3 Annunciation, 2011 (Oil and Tempera on Panel 91.3 x 81.6cm)
Copyright © 2013 Emily Patrick

Some meeting happens in a different form. The plan to come inside of the outside plants seems to be stopped by the window, which is in contrast of the tranquil scene inside. However, the plants outside do not give up their efforts. The splashes of the bright colors onto the window well reveal their ambition and vitality. (Fig. 4)

Fig. 4 Inside and Outside, 2001 (Oil on Panel 76 x 60 cm)
Copyright © 2013 Emily Patrick

Some of the foliage in still life and landscape paintings is especially vibrant, because of the curves, sways and even twists of the flowers, leaves and branches, some even folding down to the table or ground. It reminds me of Van Gogh’s plants, similarly tortuous and full of vitality, though it also looks like a kind of struggling. This vibrancy goes well with her bold brushwork. (Fig. 5)

Fig. 5 Tulip field, 1999 (Oil on Panel 60 x 40 cm)
Copyright © 2013 Emily Patrick

I tend to like the depiction of textile in her interior painting a lot, maybe because it is a subject less depicted in its own right, but more likely because of the special way of painting that has been applied to the depiction of the clothes. The sketchy brushworks with different length and thickness render a very unique effect of the texture, as if the clothes are crumpled and are as crisp as tinfoil. The effect, different than the original texture of the material, presents a unique beauty of the subject. (Fig. 6)

Fig. 6 Stripy Dress on Chair, 2003 (Tempera on Panel 72 x 41 cm)
Copyright © 2013 Emily Patrick

Another thing that interests me a lot is the title. Some of the titles are given by artist. Others are collaborative creation by the artist and her husband. Most titles are direct and simple, but some are very interesting and creative. For instance, the title ‘Annunciation’ (Fig. 2) is given by her husband as the branches coming into the room reminds him of the angel Gabriel who annunciates the coming of Jesus to Mary. I especially like the title ‘From Autumn to Pacific’ (Fig. 7), which refers the normal objects to something much grander in terms of time and space, revealing the breadth of the creator’s heart. The titles show the simplicity, humor and wisdom of the couple.

Fig. 7 From Autumn to the Pacific, 2011 (Oil and Tempera on Panel 86.5 x 61cm)
Copyright © 2013 Emily Patrick

ALTHOUGH the artist has not written many words regarding her works, almost every little piece of words that the artist writes has something unusual and inspiring in it. Unlike some other contemporary artists who intend to express creative or critical ideas through innovative or bizarre approaches, Emily 'feels no need to shout or seek for novelty', but sensitively 'responds with natural intuition', and pursues the art that is 'bound up with the good', is 'rooted in kindness which is akin to wisdom, even closer to love'. 'It is the spirit of tenderness that I chase’'she says, and she hopes that art could 'trigger man’s senses to rise up onto a higher spiritual plain'.

Her words are calm, retrospective, and sincere. Reading through it is like looking into the life she lives every day. It is as if you could see a woman wandering about agreeably in her nice home and the natural surroundings nearby. There is always a gentle smile on her face. She gazes at every little beauty in her life, vegetables and plants, toys and animals, clouds and sky. She feels them sympathetically and touches them tenderly. She walks in the serenity of the nature, breathing in the freshness of the air, embracing the vastness of the space, and feeling the ecstasy in her heart. She carefully collects all her feelings and brings them onto canvas through another round of meditation.

'Painting', to her, 'is an opportunity to offer people a different energy. Human nature feeds on gentle beauty; peace, tenderness, delicacy, complex colours and touch, the randomness of nature, the tolerance of dirt.' That is what one could feel through her paintings and it brings to us not only beauty and kindness, but also the reflection on ourselves and the world around us.


Notes: Pictures and quotations of the artists' words are from the artist's website: http://www.emilypatrick.com/show.php