Thursday, January 24, 2008

208

I was working on a new series of "Modern" films, this time back to the root of it all, the profound simplicity of Barnett Newman's "Voice of Fire". I first saw it when Margaret and I went to the National Gallery on July 1, 1992. I hadn't expected it to affect me, but of course we sought it since the controversy about it was at it's peak that month. We had been staying with the parents of a girlfriend of Margaret's brother for that one night on our way to Kingston and they really bought into the idea that anyone could have painted it with a roller and two buckets of paint in 20 minutes. You can look at the image on the web, but it will not give you religious experience of standing in front of this object. My videos are only pale reflection of course.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

you know, I didn't get there until 8 years later! I also went searching for it and was surprised to find it so arresting. I figure that's what experiencing art is supposed to be like. Sad that doesn't happen more often.