
I found these images after a conversation with an artist friend today about David Hockney - she likes his older portraits and I am crazy about his newer landscapes. They give new meaning to "color field" painting. I can't help but be reminded of Van Gogh in these pieces... an amped up Van Gogh. Who thought that possible?
When I purchased the Abstract Expressionist stamps at the post office the other week, the clerk and I got into a two-second discussion on art. He pointed to the Barnett Newman image and said, "well, I can do that." I told him to "go for it." Yes, he probably could pull off some look-alike. But then what? People say that sort of thing often about work. I admit that my work would be fairly easy to copy. But, I dare someone to get the wood, get the paint, make the space and time, find the inspiration, dig up the courage, and sit down and do the work. Chances are if someone goes through all that trouble, they have a strong creative voice of their own that won't let them copy another's work for very long. So, go ahead and try to copy this painting by Barnett Newman....