All art is abstract. The most photo-realistic painting of Uncle George is not Uncle George. It is a two dimensional summary of the artist's observations. As is a photograph. The level of detail required for a satisfactory representation depends largely on culture and personal experience, ranging from petroglyphs to holograms. Both of which rock BTW [groan]. What takes an image or object beyond familiarity and gives it value as art are it's abstract elements: composition, color, materials, imagination, insight, attitude, skill, etc. One of the great gifts of abstract art is to simply recognize and publicly acknowledge this fact. From this acknowledgment follows the insight that any of these elements can be appreciated on their own.I love abstraction and have been known to get misty in front of a late period Diebenkorn, but recently I've felt the urge to get my figurative drawing skills back in shape. Along with that, a few trips to the library reminded me of my deep appreciation for John Singer Sargent. Combining these conditions I produced a ballpoint pen sketch from a Sargent painting. To deepen the double looking-glass effect, the subject of Sargent's painting is another artist looking at photographs from which to paint a landscape. Does this represent some kind of conceptual hologram? Or is that too abstract?
TOP - painting: "Green Filter"
BOTTOM - sketch after Sargent
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