Art & Inspiration Blog

Using symbols for strokes to create visual imagery, Post Conceptual Art closely emulates both cutting edge scientific and ancient spiritual truths.

Art is humankind’s way of showing truth. Artistic truth may be profane or sacred or both. The best art reveals an understanding of truth that is not blatantly obvious, until through the artist’s hand it becomes so. From the cave art of the shamans to current day Conceptual and now the new Post Conceptual Art, the work of the artist has been to convey truth visually.

If the truth conveyed is valid to a large enough proportion of its contemporary society that has the means to support it, the art is accepted and revered in its own time. If the truth is valid for many people and continues to be so for many generations then the art is venerated. This is true for all forms of art.

Visual art stands apart from the other arts through its relationship to time. Performances, including theatrical, musical and dance, plus films, video and literature need time to be revealed. Even the shortest poem cannot present its meaning all at once. However, a painting or sculpture immediately presents as a whole complete work. One may wish to spend more time visually exploring the work and thinking about it, but the viewer not the artist is adding to the understanding of any purely visual handmade artwork.

Time is also referenced in a purely visual handcrafted work as the viewer “perceives” the kind of time it took to physically create the work. Most purely visual hand made art is created with strokes of one kind or another. In Contemporary Art the strokes may be made of almost anything, including Tara Donavan’s buttons and straws to the snip strokes of Kara Walker’s scissors. Historically the strokes we are most familiar with are those made with paint brushes and chisels.

Fabricated and photographic art (which is fabricated thorough the initial use of a camera and then often developed via other machinery) also uses strokes, but the relationship to time differs. Each frame or photograph was captured all-at-once in a moment of time, and thus is one stroke. A stroke always references the smallest unit of time it took to make the whole stroke.

Physicists tell us that our dimension of the physical universe began with the Big Bang, which set in motion the ongoing expanding creation of energy. Everything we perceive is really energy because matter is energy in denser accumulation. For the Abrahamic faiths, and those traditions of other peoples, too, the Creator speaks the physical universe (or world, depending on the story) into existence. For Jews, Christians and Muslims, the letters of the Hebrew words spoken by the Divine in Genesis 1, form the real or symbolic basis of the physical universe, and as they continue to be spoke the universe is created and continues. The similarity to the scientific theory and the spiritual tradition are easily seen; this has received much commentary in the press and in popular and scholarly non-fiction books.

Paintings inherently emulate both the Big Bang and the symbolic presentation of the Genesis story of creation. Like the Big Bang a painting begins with one stroke and the artist proceeds to add strokes to make a unified whole. Like the Genesis story, a painting begins with one stroke (letter of the first word of “Let there be Light”) and proceeds to include more strokes until the whole of the initial creation is completed.

The same understandings can be applied to hand made sculptures where an artist’s strokes may be made with a chisel or tool, or one’s hands, but stroke by stroke is made until the whole of the work is revealed.

Post Conceptual Art breaks with centuries of tradition to exclusively create narrative imagery with symbol-strokess that are used just as strokes have always been used by artists. Unlike calligraphy, micrography or Word Art where the symbols (letters) are meant to be distinguished or read, Post Conceptual Art asserts that the meaning of the symbol-strokes is inherent and need not be read. This references humankind’s daily experiences with the physical universe where we may recognize, name and use a compound without perceiving or even having knowledge of its atomic, or the molecular structure. For instance, we can distinguish copper from plastic or from water, without really perceiving the atomic, no less pre-particle energy that is inherent in any of the matter.

Until the Twentieth Century, humankind did not have scientific molecular or atomic understandings of the structure of any matter. In our new century the scientific frontiers of binary science and M or String theory (these are now fairly synonymous) are seeking to discover more about the tiniest pre-matter/energies that are the physical basis of our physical universe. The scientific discoveries and theories about these essential units of energy and mass are represented by the symbol-strokes of the Post Conceptual artist.

Thus Post Conceptual Art, in accordance with Judy Rey Wasserman’s “Manifesto of Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art Theory” presents cutting edge scientific truth in visual form. That using symbols (letters) as strokes to represent the creation as presented in the Abrahamic faiths and many others, possibly indicates how eternally relevant this now scientific truth is.

The Manifesto of Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art Theory has recently undergone additional tweaking and revision, yet the opening sentence that was scribbled on notebook paper during a Hampton Jitney ride into the NYC has always remained the same. It is: “The only essential material element of any painting or drawing is a stroke.”

When I began painting with symbols (letters) as strokes, my focus naturally turned to the strokes themselves. Here and there they needed to be seen and the layers and layers of tiny letters – tiny as they reference the pre-matter/energy of string theory – need to somehow be present in a work. Whatever the narrative imagery, the work is always preeminently about its strokes.

This style of painting and also sculpting is the flip from the way I was classically taught, where the strokes are made to create the narrative. For me, the narrative serves the strokes.

Focusing on the stroke(s) at hand tends to pull or keep me in present time, in the now of many spiritual positions, It is only possible to create or notice a stroke in the now.

Summer, always my favorite season as I can swim, or just be in water treading or floating, is full of glorious strokes in the water. Add in a canoe trip, another wonderful pastime for extra strokes.

A stroke is the smallest and essential unit of complete energy, which can be solidified into mass) in the smallest unit of time. As it always has energy, movement is implied. Movement requires energy, space and time. A stroke is hitting a letter of the keyboard with one finger. Releasing the keypad is movement I the opposite direction, so that is a different stroke. When my hands are keyboarding, I am actually creating many strokes simultaneously; as different fingers move in response to my thoughts (thoughts are energy). In response to the stroke of my finger the computer creates another stroke that is a letter and it, through various binary strokes appears on the monitor’s screen.

It is easy to see a stroke in a painting by Vincent van Gogh. The actual stroke*s van Gogh made with his hand that resulted on the stroke appearing on the canvas are implied. Thus strokes of a painting, drawing or doodle and the letters in a written work, even a shopping list are physical reminder of past stroke making moments. Of course, some art uses strokes that become words and symbols, Word and Post Conceptual Art being prime examples.

For all fauna life is full of movement, hence created strokes. A stroke is created when a butterfly moves its wing, a centipede lifts a leg, a bird slightly tilts its head or a fish moves a fin. When strokes are combined with other strokes intentions are realized and the butterfly will fly, the centipede will climb the stalk, the bird will find its dinner and the fish will swim away. Time lapse photography reveals the strokes of plants as their flowers unfold, but the strokes made by flora tend to be so small that we see the result—the flora, the bud, the fruit, vegetable or new leaf – but miss the strokes. Usually life has an intention, a reason, which may be conscious or subconscious for creating a stroke.

These are some exhibits currently in the Hamptons with strokes or assemblages of strokes that have added to my summer.

As I was working on the August newsletter for artnet.com when I attended Guild Hall’s opening for LARRY RIVERS: MAJOR EARLY WORKS, I did not also cover it in my blog. However, Christina Mossaides Strassfield curating achievement deserves a mention as she manages the seemingly impossible task of placing various works, paintings and drawings, etc., so that each one seems to stand apart capturing attention. That achievement was enormously complicated by the stunning and huge assemblage of Rivers famous work on the history of the Russian Revolution takes up an entire wall in the exhibition’s main room, which may be the only wall where it could fit. That work inspires me with ideas for assemblages of paintings and sculptures, too; it is a kind of full room installation all on one wall.

When it comes to assemblages of a repeated single stroke, Tara Donovan is one of the best artists around. Anne Pasternak, Creative Time’s President and Artistic Director, was invited to be a guest curator recently at Edsel William’s Fireplace Project, for a entitled, “INTIMACY”. There is much good work in this show, but focusing on unique strokes two stand out. First, a Tara Donovan assemblage made of standard white paper plates, which for me are the strokes. Donavan uses various materials the assemblages she creates using all the same items, which have been Styrofoam cups, white shirt buttons, and especially fitting for summer paper plates.

TARA DONOVAN
Untitled (Paper Plates), 2007
Paper plates and hot glue
17 x 36 x 28 inches

Tara Donavan’s assemblage was such an intriguing work of art that artist Ricci Albenda’s Chihuahua was struggling to escape his owners arms to reach it. Perhaps the all white sculptural strokes seem familiar as Albenda’s sculptures are a kind of luscious undulating sculptural stroke that moves across a plane. The one at the gallery was titled, Study for Panoramic Portal to Another Dimension (Deanna) #12, 2007.

Driving to Sag Harbor the following week there was a cloud that was like a huge white with a tinge of gray stroke that could have been painted by James Nares. It was large but only a few other wispy clouds were near it as it floated over the waves (also strokes) lapping in Noyac Bay.

In Sag Harbor, at the Tulla Booth Gallery, we discussed how a painting is complied of strokes, or at least a stroke that took time to paint from beginning to end, but a photograph is an all-at-once capture of a moment, all one stroke of time captured by physically taking the picture. Currently in the group show in Tulla’s gallery is a photo by Jake Rajs of one of the most glorious waves, caught in an elegant moment as hovers before crashing, bowed in the center as if licking the water beneath it.

Parrish Art Museum’s exhibit, “SAND: MEMORY, MEANING AND METAPHOR” organized by Alicia Longwell, Ph.D, includes many strokes of sand. There is work from a portfolio of photographs by Felix Gonzales-Torres of waves of wind swept sand. Richard Misrach’s large C-print mounted on Plexiglas also depicts one sunbather floating on waves and waves of waves and waves of sand, included here are also the footprints (another kind of stroke) made by humans and bird. A lyrical sculpture by Ernest Neto of what could be one long poured stroke of sand that flows into tendrils to end in pod-like feet.

Peter Marcelle’s Hampton Road Gallery, the “CREATE-ITITY ONE’ is solo exhibit of Philip Letts of blur photography that captures waves of light.

Art that includes strokes of water, sand, light and even paper plates – that’s the strokes of late summer in the Hamptons.

Art can change the way we see the world so that our life is richer and fuller through our enhanced enhanced vision. The effect that art has on a person’s life is personal, and can be dramatic, but most certainly is physical.

For human beings who are normally sighted (including through corrective lenses), 60% of the brain’s space is dedicated to the sorting, storing and retrieving of visual data. Only 10% of the sense of visual perception is related to the eyes receiving and sending impressions of light to the brain. 90% of vision is based on stored data that our brains apply to make sense of the light images perceived by the eyes.

The primary perceptual sense for the overwhelming majority of human beings is sight. Plus, more people are visual learners or secondary visual learners than are aural or kinetic learners.

Human brains are stimulated by what is challenging and new. Of course, everyone who is normally sighted visually perceives 100% of the time that their eyes are open. When we see new images that we need to decipher, we add more visual data recognition to our brain’s databases. Recently, through new imaging techniques and discoveries neuroscience has proven that the healthy human brain can and does continue to grow, adding more information and understandings throughout life. The more a healthy brain is “nurtured” with stimulating challenges and new data the more it grows. Essentially, the more one understands, the smarter one is.

Science’s new understandings of how we see also rectify the notion that human babies are born blind. Actually, their eyes can see light impressions. However, newborns have not learned how to focus their eyes, and more significantly lack any visual data, which only begins to accumulate when they first open their eyes. Thus by about two weeks of age the baby has enough visual data that it can begin to recognize the human image it sees the most, usually the mother. Learning and sorting visual data continues through childhood, as a child learns to distinguish other faces, shapes, objects, colors, and then letters and numbers, etc.

It is easy to see how visual art and science, especially the mathematically based sciences such as physics, have changed how we see the world. These two disciplines have inspired each other and interacted throughout mankind’s history. J.M.W. Turner’s energetic use of light and atmosphere inspires the Impressionists to paint the then new discovery of light waves. If one can focus one the light energy in a painting, then one can focus on emotional energy; thus van Gogh paints and Freud analyzes. As Freud and his colleagues analyze looking at this side and that (reality is subjective), chemists and physicists delve into new understandings of matter, energy, space and time, and artists develop Surrealism, Cubism and Abstract Expressionism. While Pop Art commented on what seemed then as a visual barrage of culture, it also presaged the larger visual wave that now comes through, PC’s, cell phones, iPods, etc. Like the chicken and the egg, which comes first the art or the science remains debatable.

When an artist offers a unique and new way of seeing physical reality, as the Impressionists, Cubists, Surrealists, Abstract Expressionists and Pop artists did (and do for people newly exposed to their work, for instance: children), the viewer has new and visually valuable data that can now be stored and used to decode other images. This data can be used when seeing other art and also when seeing anything. For instance, for many people moving through the soup aisle of a supermarket there is a subliminal, if not recognized visual reminder of Andy Warhol’s work.

Art that is credited for changing our perception of the world has iconic value, which makes it valuable, and more valuable if it is a one of a kind piece. Almost every major art museum touts its most famous pieces to draw visitors, especially tourists. Tourism always helps support a local economy and a thriving local economy helps support its art museum(s). People, including tourists are drawn to the iconic, life changing visions provided by great art, for example: van Gogh’s Starry Night and Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Warhol’s Gold Marilyn at MoMa.

The brain associates memories, including those of images cross referenced for later use. Thus when one sees an image of Marilyn Monroe on a magazine cover, her face is recognized from the brain’s stored data (memories) of previously viewed images of Monroe, possibly including some created by Andy Warhol. Creating cross references is part of how the brain grows. It could also possibly account for the higher prices collectors are willing to pay for minor works of art my artists who created iconic and visual reality changing art, like van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol. When looking at an early and minor Warhol work our brains naturally reference and even compare it to the other works of his we have seen.

That art can visually inform innovative ways of seeing may also account for some of the skyrocketing prices recently for Contemporary Art. Our technological ability to rapidly share images keeps newer images in demand in our quest to see more and learn (brain expansion).

Return Ye Children
Genesis: Sunset- Sunrise series
24 ¼ x 36 ¼ inches, acrylic on Masonite
Texts used for strokes: Genesis 1-2:7, Deut. 6:4, Psalm 90 frame

Places where technological or scientific learning and experimentation are concentrated tend to also be places where new visual art, including theories are born or nurtured. For instance, Expressionism really came out the geological area that is predominantly comprised of Germany and Austria, as did much of early psychology and also what became modern physics. However, both the scientists and the artists basically moved to the Northeastern USA due to the growth of the Nazi party. Currently, as China and India burst with technological learning this is accompanied by an outpouring of inventive Contemporary Art. Historically, military might not spur on a society’s economic prosperity as much as it’s thriving concentration of scientific study and innovative visual art.

Seeing art, any art which is new to us, will increase a person’s visual data for future reference, thus expanding the brain – but so will seeing new sights and foreign cultures.

But, art is capable of more. Art can show us new and unique ways to see. Van Gogh’s expressive, energetically charged paintings show how places and people can be charged with feeling. Pop threw current culture back at people, challenging the viewer to make choices, and see the new visual media filled landscape. Word Art deals with how we bring extrinsic meaning, memories and imagery into our moments of now. The art of the great artists who originated these artistic theories and understandings present more than new visual images, they present new ways of visual understanding. That kind of data can enhance future visual perceptions, and so is personally life changing.

For information on Judy Rey Wasserman’s new theory of Post Conceptual Art, which uses symbols for every stroke, including the branch of UnGraven Image art, click on the title below to download the free PDF of “The Manifesto of Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art Theory – A Painting’s Meaning is Inherent in its Strokes”.

SCOPE Hamptons returned to the East End for the for its consecutive fourth year, and once again transformed 25,000 square-foot East Hampton Studios into a space that this year housed over 40 gallery booths and events from July 24 to 27, 2008. The SCOPE Contemporary Art fairs were begun and are run by Executive Director Alexis Hubshman and have introduced both galleries and artists to the international art community.

SCOPE fairs always introduce new galleries and artists, so they are fun places to make discoveries, plus since many galleries regularly participate, it is also an opportunity to say hello to friends.

The opening VIP Preview, had collector VIPS in attendance, such as Beth Rudin DeWoody, Bonnie Clearwater, Kim Levin and Dennis Oppenheim, plus others who had generously volunteered their time to the first Collector Mentorship Auction to benefit the Scope foundation’s “The Girl Project” and “The Arctic Circle Project”.

New collectors learn about well known collectors at the Collector Mentorship Auction

It was fun to chat with local fast becoming a celebrity artist, David Gamble in the busy booth of the Keszler Gallery of Southampton, NY, which represents his work. David is the President of the Artists Secret Society (A.S.S.), both the website (again, have your speakers on) and their new local exhibition space for new and experimental works located in East Hampton. Gallerist Stephan Kezler is also a local celebrity himself. Stephan’s splendid home can be seen in the latest edition of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens. Aside from David’s work (which sold well at the fair), I especially resonated to the Keszler Gallery’s piece by Banksy of the chimp carrying a placard that reads, “Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge”.

BANKSY Laugh Now

RARE Gallery’s Rare Gallery’s booth, returning agia to this fair presents new and emerging artists and always, including at their Chelsea site, has interesting work.

As usual, after touring the fair, I went home to mull over the art I had seen. The next day, At Kevin Bruk Gallery’s booth a painting by Jason Middlebrook was already sold and off the wall. Several galleries were selling well and allowing collectors to take the works right off the walls and carry them home. Another booth with and ever changing display was the Rhys Gallery, which meant that they brought out work by Judith Larson, which I mentioned in an article on last summer’s Scope.

The booth with the best overall presentation of their works was – without a doubt – the Red Truck Gallery (do go to this link and make sure your speakers are turned on!) Actually, the presentation was almost performance art, as Noah Antieau played cards, drank beers and basically held court funky New Orleans style, surrounded by visionary works bt his friends and family, including by his mother (and she is good). This Friday’s post by Ben Davis at artnet.com’s Magazine duplicates what I intended, so read that too.

Noah Antieau in the Red Truck Gallery booth at SCOPE Hamptons ‘08

Sundram Tagore was the only gallery that had a booth at both ArtHamptons and ScopeHamptons. Opening night I enjoyed meeting Sundram, who has a unique and for me laudable mission statement for his gallery available at its website. I especially appreciated the portraits by Lee Waisler in this booth.

Jacob Karpio Galeria’s booth featured works by Lluis Barba, a photographer who inserts other photographed images and logos into photographs of iconic paintings. The work I saw in the booth was a reworking of a Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which was far too large with small details to fairly represent in a small jpeg online. However, you can see the idea at the galley’s website in a flash presentation under the Exhibitions tab.

Salomon Contemporary had a booth at the fair and also hosted the Opening Reception a the gallery space in the woods of East Hampton. Along with champagne, dessert, and music, VIPs and guests were treated to a show with a large mural by Michael Bilsborough.

James Salomon before a work by artist Darius Yektai

In keeping with its Green Initiative, there was a panel discussion focused on eco friendly choices, followed by a reception at the HC7G Idea House. Scope continues to use eco friendly materials, such as printing promotional materials with soy ink and recycling when possible.

Finally, here are two opportunities for artists:

First, at the VIP Preview I met Hannah Gibson, Assistant Director of NURTRUEART, a not for prof8it in Williamsburg. Hannah is eager to help emerging artists through the various programs they have. Check out the website.

Second, when a Scope rolls into a city, James MacDonald helps to staff it with people who help in various ways. Based in NYC and staffing many events, but especially the SCOPE fairs, James is especially eager to hire artists. So, if you plan to be in Miami, NY, the Hamptons, London, etc., during the fair, contact james@baldwinavenuegroup.com. James knows my blog and asked me to get the word out. Do not contact me about this opportunity as I am not associated with the Baldwin Group, but watching the people who were working at the fair, it seems to me that working at one could be a good opportunity for an artist to make friends with a gallery.

The second installment of a two part article.

The first ArtHamptons housed 55 booths in its four modular structures on the grounds of the Bridgehampton Historical Society, from July 10 through July 13, 2008. The galleries at the fair featured late 19th, 20th and 21st Century museum quality art. According to Executive Director Rick Friedman, over $100 million dollars worth of art was available and over $25 million dollars of art was sold through the fair thus far.

The great array of good to great art shown at ArtHamptons made culling the mentions down into one article difficult. When I attend an art fair I prefer to return on a second day, or at least go somewhere away from the booths and take a break. Then the works that stand out in my memory are ones I mention. So after seeing everything, with my mind overflowing glorious images of art, I left to ponder.

The next day, my first stop was at the booth of the Mark Borghi Gallery, which has a branch in Bridgehampton. Thus, I am familiar with the fact that they show and sell museum quality art. Although the booth had work by Hamptons artists, a stunning sculpture by John Chamberlain (who lives and works in Shelter Island), and a De Kooning, what had captured my interest was a somewhat atypical but charming work by Chagall of a lady in a sprightly decorated dress. I revisited that work again and again. I would have asked to include the image here, but it was so finely detailed that a small image here would not have fairly shown the work.

Another stunning work that I had to pass showing here as a small image could not do it justice was a large (77 ¾ x 77 inches) work by Jim Dine, entitled Black Robe found at the Verve Gallery. During the fair and then afterwards I enjoyed meeting and conversing with Gregg Sheinbaum, who I look forward to seeing again at a fair or when I am in Fort Lauderdale where the gallery is located.

I am a great fan of Andy Warhol, who is sort of a Hamptons artist as he had a second home in Montauk. Although his work was plentiful, especially many of his iconic silk-screens. Warhol’s works never fail to delight me. My claim that his work has greatly influenced mine is difficult to see from my own initial Genesis: Sunset-Sunrise series but as I move into the Essence series, it will become clearer. So, hearty thanks for the showing wonderful Warhol’s especially to Accorsi Arts, the Contessa Gallery, DJT Fine Art and Gary Bruder Fine Art .

William Meek of the esteemed Harmon-Meek Gallery graciously sent and allowed me to use my favorite image at the fair by Will Barnet, which you can find in last week’s Part 1 of this article and in the newsletter.

One of my intentions prior to attending the fair was to see the booth of the Jerald Melberg Gallery. I had seen ads for the gallery in various art magazines, and from the quality of the art and artists represented was curious about this gallery located in Charlotte , North Carolina. I enjoyed meeting Jerald Melberg and remain impressed by the works at his gallery.

Upon entering the main pavilion to the right was the Mark Borghi Gallery and to the left John Szoke Editions. Here, I especially appreciated works by Louise Bourgeois and Julian Opie plus two very different kinds of works by Chuck Close. Inside the booth were holograms portraits by and of Chuck Close that were fascinating, but what impressed me the most was just outside the booth, a limited edition print that freely used many different colored small lines to create a self portrait. I appreciate that John Szoke kindly took the time to answer my questions about the Opie and the hologram works as the processes were new to me.

ArtHamptons had a dazzling of special fund raising events. It kicked of with a preview and special presentation to Will Barnet of the first ever Hampton ’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. The admission for each day was donated to a different local charity, plus there were auctions and benefit events that raised additional funds for local charities. Other events included book signings and readings.

Of special note were the panels and lectures. Helen A Harrison, director of the Pollack-Krasner House, moderated A Passion for Collecting — Hamptons Collectors on Collecting, with panel members Ron Delsner, Henry Buhl, Larry Dubin and Michael Zenft. Christina Strassfield, curator of Guild Hall spoke on the Importance of Larry Rivers, Prelude to the Guild Hall Show. Successful Art Collecting:Insider Tips on Choice, Strategy and Value, presented by Ray Waterhouse, Chairman of Fine Art Brokers, London, Paris and New York.

The panel , Why You Can’t Live Without Art? was moderated by artist Audrey Flack, (her statue Civitas was situated near the fair’s entrance) included panelists Klaus Kertess (curator and writer), April Gornik (artist), and David Brigham (Director, Pennsylvania Academy of Art). Most artists are collectors and in addition to art and stuff, I collect ideas and meaningful quotes. Here are two from this panel:

L to R: Klaus Kertess, April Gornik, Audrey Flack and David Brigham

“Art is the purest expression of the mind’s ability to make a metaphor.” – Klaus Kertess

“The artist proffers onto the viewer an experience unto which they [the viewer] can project” – April Gornik

Another panel, Using the Internet to Build Your Collection , had my attention from the get-go since as an artist I am using the Internet to make my artwork and the Post Conceptual Art theory I am founding known. This panel was moderated by Miriam Tucker, Partner, Rago Arts+Auctions Center and Bill Fine, President, artnet.com Worldwide. Various auction and database sites were mentioned, including the comprehensive one on artnet.com, where collectors can find and research works of art. Since I have already written various articles aimed at the emerging collector, I was busy taking notes for a future blog and article.

At least several times a week, I use artnet.com, which over the past few years I have found to be an amazing resource for information on the art world. Although Bill Fine had an excellent presentation some of the resources I use were barely mentioned as the panel’s focus was on the online auctions, market trends information and price data base. At the end of the discussion, when the panel asked for questions, I raised my hand and requested that Bill mention the other resources, which I specifically mentioned. He replied he would prefer if I did it, so I took the microphone, turned to face the audience and enthusiastically but quickly told about the excellent online Magazine and articles (some of the best art writers write for artnet.com), the information available under the tabs for Artists and also the one for Galleries.

A few minutes later, after the panel ended, I mentioned to Bill Fine that although I would be mentioning the panel in my upcoming blog on ArtHamptons, I would be using the material in another article specifically aimed at collectors and would send him a link then. If I am going to mention of quote someone, I often tell them, but almost always email a link as a courtesy.

Bill turned to me and asked if I was really covering the fair and if I would like to write about it for the artnet.com newsletter. I would and it did! (Of course, I did assure him that I really do cover fairs and have been a professional entertainment journalist and editor, and did sent links and other substantiating information.) Here is the link to that article: artnet.com July Newsletter.

Since the original idea was to dealt with the ArtHamptons fair and art in the Hamptons, I hurried away to find Gavin Spanierman, at his booth as the Spanierman Gallery in East Hampton includes works by both Contemporary and Modern artists. Commenting on the fair, Gavin spoke of the excellent job by Rick Friedman and his staff. [Read more of Gavin's comments in the artnet.com newsletter.]

The overwhelming and volunteered approval of the management of the fair first mentioned by Gavin continued strongly and unanimously throughout the next week as I contacted many galleries in relation to the artnet.com article. From that first comment and throughout the contacts to many of the galleries at the fair that then ensued through the following week on behalf on the artnet.com newsletter article. Although I never asked if any gallery would return the following year, most offered they would be back next year. Every gallery I spoke to during the following week had made at least one sale that was finalized or in the works.

Peter Marcelle, and I had agreed to mention his volunteer activities for our local artistic community, especially by giving talks on the art world and curating shows for the East End Arts Council. What I learned from Peter in those informal talks has been invaluable for me, and impacted my art and understanding of the commerce of the art world. I told Peter that I was going to write that he is a mensche. However, as the week developed and sales figures for his booth Hamptons Road Gallery/Peter Marcelle Contemporary came in, Peter had to be mentioned for his impressive sales record at the fair. Although I only give good mentions, which means I only mention good people, I am especially happy for the opportunity to write about Peter’s success for the newsletter and his contributions to the local art community in my blog article.

Months ago, when I learned of ArtHamptons (ironically through a link at artnet.com to a small banner ad), and I saw the roster on then signed galleries, I thought that having a cornucopia of museum quality art residing in the Hamptons seemed like a wonderful addition to my own birthday weekend. The opportunity to write for Bill Fine and artnet.com is the scrumptious birthday cake with ice cream (with no calories or fat!).

ArtHamptons was a resounding success for the galleries and the Hamptons community. Mark Borghi elegantly summed up the Hamptons art scene and this fair, declaring them as, “A vibrant market!”

This is the first part of a two part blog

The first ever ArtHamptons fair took place in Bridgehampton from July 11 to 13, 2008, bringing a slew of girlhood memories home to me.

It I grew up in New York City during the school year and in Southampton during summers, where except for my own drawing and then painting and visits to shows at the Parrish Art museum, there no art experience. Of course, I knew about the famous artists of the Hamptons, but I saw their work in the City, not in the Hamptons.

ArtHamptons began with a gala preview and a tribute presentation of the first Hampton’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts to Will Barnet.

Usually I take a walk through any entire fair I attend, not really stopping anywhere, just to get a feel for the booths and what is being shown, but as I entered the main building I was immediately drawn into the Hisrchl and Adler Modern booth that had a good display of Fairfield Porter’s work that I thoroughly enjoyed.

By the time I was studying art at the Art Student’s League Fairfield Porter, who lived and painted in Southampton was well known. Larry Rivers was in Southampton too, and my dream was to also work as an artist and live in Southampton – a dream I am now fulfilling.

I have known the original Hirschl and Adler Gallery on the Upper East Side of Manhattan since I was in seventh grade since the year when I began to attend Hunter College High School at 68^th Sreet and Lexington Ave. My Dad escorted me for the first two days from our home in the 90’s on the West Side. Then I was judged competent to make the trip on my own and given a bus pass that was good for unlimited rides weekdays. Pure freedom.

I continued by quick walk through journey through ArtHamptons but before I got very far, I was in front of the booth of the Wally Findlay Galleries International, Inc. One of the two galleries that was important to me and my art training beginning with that original bus pass.

It took less than a week for me to discover that the bus pass allowed me to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My admission was free since I was a student. I could wander the Met freely until it was time to head home due to my 5:30 pm curfew.

This was before the avenues became one way, so on Fifth Avenue, Madison, Lexington and Third Avenues the buses ran both north and south. I began to experiment with different routes as the amazing bus pass worked on all buses. As I rode along Madison, heading to the Met, I noticed the art galleries. By the beginning of the second week I began my plan of visiting a few galleries on the way to the Met every day. I had little understanding about galleries, which I thought of as mini-museums. If I saw art in the window I went inside to check it out.

That is how I discovered the Wally Findlay Gallery. I remember it as if it just happened; only now I see the memory through the understandings of an adult. It was a warm fall afternoon. I had already been to two galleries new to me one was really just a frame shop and the other did not have work that interested me, but I would go back to check it out again.

I was a gawky, young for my just turned twelve years, wearing a ridiculous pair of light blue cat’s eyes eyeglasses with dumb little rhinestones that my mother insisted on, but I was tall if only I would stand up straight. However, as I entered the gallery I was hunched over partially in perpetual embarrassment over by newly enlarging breasts, plus I was loaded down with heavy text books, a large loose leaf binder, other supplies and a large purse.

A man with a stern but cultured air was speaking with a well dressed lady. He looked up as I walked in, and I looked at him the same way I would a tour guide. I no prior experience with galleries, which I figured to be some kind of mini museums if they were not frame shops. This gallery had Impressionist paintings, which I liked, including some by artists I recognized. The man began to speak about a painting to the lady, mush like a tour guide, so I came up behind them to listen.

The man turned around, glaring at me, but politely asked, “What do you want?”

“To hear what you’re saying about the art,” I said, still thinking he was a kid of tour guide like those who dealt with groups of students on school visits.

“Well, we’re having a private conversation.”

I apologized and shuffled over to the other side of the gallery, which was a basically one large front room, with private rooms in the rear. They continued to speak, moving into a private room and I continued to look at the art. I had worked my way halfway through the gallery when the woman departed.

The man spoke to me again, “Can I help you?” It was obvious he was not thrilled with my presence. However, I knew gruff guards at the Met who were not sure about me roaming around without someone to watch me that I did not touch or treat the art inappropriately. I was easily winning them over with my smile and very good and reverent behavior.

So I smiled and said, “No thank you, I’m fine. How are you?”

I a not sure if he answered, but I knew he was not pleased with my presence. However, having no idea that such a gallery was not a museum I continued to be polite and returned to my business of looking at the art.

The next time I entered the gallery, a couple of weeks later, I was glad that the man was busy with other people, who were always well dressed adults. It seemed strange to me that the art had changed and there were new paintings hung now as that did not happen in the Met’s basic rooms, and these were the days before Thomas Hoving began the blockbuster shows.

Jean Dufy

Venise vers la Place St. Marc, 1945

I continued to frequent the Wally Findlay Gallery on a bi-weekly basis. Sometime in November I came into the gallery on a cold and rainy day, when no one but the man was there, probably since the weather was so dreadful. By now, he knew that I was a respectful girl with a genuine interest in art. Even though I was unable to get any of my friends to join me on my rounds to the galleries and visits to the Met, it never dawned on me that my avid interest was unusual. Possibly, as I was too busy looking at the art or because it seemed so important to me.

This day the man came and stood beside me and kindly spoke to me asking me my opinion of the painting we were looking at. Of course, I liked it, but showed him another in the gallery I liked better, I think it was a Cezanne.

As I recall it now I understand that he was playfully teasing me, but his question and reply surprised me as much as mine did him. “Would you like to own it?” he asked.

When he told me the price I was startled, and relied,”You mean it’s for sale?! People can buy it?”

I never made it to the Met that day. Mr. Findley explained to me what a gallery was we began what was my first education about art that was not self taught. When he was no busy with people he would discuss the recent art he had acquired.

Until that day I had absolutely no one in my life, not even teachers to speak to about art and ask questions, although my Dad would go to the museums with me and enjoyed seeing art.

Wally Findley truly loved the paintings and was full of information about the artists. When no collectors were in the gallery, he would invite me into his office and give me cookies and he would show me the art in his office, which was often the best he had. Sometimes, if he was with collectors he would ask me to wait. Once they left he would proudly show me a new work and ask for my opinion. He never let me off the hook about my opinion as we would discuss a painting’s merits, its colors and perspective, the scene, etc. He knew I was regularly visiting the Met, too.

I especially recall waiting for people to leave and having him usher me into his office where he proudly introduced me to Jean Dufy. I have always been fascinated with brush strokes and Dufy’s strokes were a revelation to me, free like van Gogh’s but playful. It took me a while to warm up to the idea that Dufy did not fill his canvas with strokes. To a degree his influence can be seen in my own initial Essence portraits, but as I move into that series and others the freedom I learned from Wally Findlay via the Dufy’s will become more apparent.

Although Mr. Findlay knew I liked to draw, at that time my schools so far did not have art classes of any kind and the only classes I had outside of school were more about making crafts. He asked to see a drawing so I brought him one and he looked pleased. However, what Mr. Findlay was teaching me was how to look at art, and some of the history of Modern Art. He was my dear adopted art uncle.

It never dawned on me to tell anyone about this perfectly innocent relationship, which was really one of teacher and student so as a schoolgirl it seemed fitting to me. The relationship was casual, I dropped in when I dropped in, which became slightly less when I switched to the more distant High School of Music and Art. Even then, our teachers focused on museums, never discussing galleries, so again it never came up. During all of this time I had no idea that the Wally Findlay Gallery was an important gallery, or even that one gallery could be more significant than another in the art world.

I moved on in life, marrying and moving to Los Angeles, raising children and having careers other than as an artist, as I did not feel that I had anything new to add or say as an artist until a few years ago. That is when I began to recall the six school years from seventh through twelfth grade when I spent so much time during afternoons and weekends in the great museums and galleries of New York. I saw an advertisement in the New York Times for the Wally Findlay Galleries International, Inc., which is on 57^th Street now, recognized the name and my relationship with Mr. Findlay came flooding back to me. A brief bit of Internet research showed that the gallery had indeed been located on Madison Avenue where I remembered it. Last winter I stopped in reminisced and enjoyed the art.

ArtHamptons brought to the Hamptons what had always seemed almost unimaginable to me when I was a teenager enjoying summers in the Hamptons. Although I was busy riding my bike, swimming and painting and drawing on my own but missing the museums and galleries and art classes I enjoyed back in the city. Although the Hamptons now has good Modern and Contemporary galleries and the museums, especially the Parrish and Guild Hall, bringing Hirschl and Adler, Will Barnet and the Wally Findlay Gallery under one roof was a bit like bringing my artistic girlhood to the Hamptons.

So, as I rounded the corner at ArtHamptons and discovered the Wally Findlay Galleries International, Inc., including Impressionist paintings and Dufy, I knew that for me personally this ArtHampton is an especially wonderful event. I had no idea how very special.

Thanks to Stephanie Borynack, V.P.. International Director and Patricia Attoe, Assistant to the Director of the Wally Findlay Galleries International, Inc., for the use of the Jean Dufy image. Thanks to William Meek of the Harmon-Meek Gallery for the use of the Will Barnet image.

[Note 07/24/08 : My newsletter article for artnet.com on ArtHamptons went live midweek, so I am postponing uploading the next installment to this blog for a few days. It will be more on ArtHamptons, and how I came to write for art.netcom. Here is the link to the newsletter article July artnet.com newsletter]

Researcher Iegor Reznikoff, a specialist in ancient music at the University of Paris X in Nanterre has discovered a connection between ancient cave paintings and acoustics. In the caves with ancient art the most acoustically resonant places — where sounds linger or reverberate the most — were often the places where the pictures were densest.

The study included various caves in at least ten locations. Wherever there were drawings of horses, bison, and mammoths, the acoustics in the cave best served to amplify and even transform the sounds of human voices and musical instruments such as bone flutes, have been found in decorated caves.

For me, as an artist founding the Post Conceptual UnGraven Image theory of art that can be considered simultaneously both secular and religious, Reznikoff’s discovery of the acoustical significance of the specific caves where the prominent art is located is riveting information. This discovery opens many possibilities, even probabilities about the art found in the caves of Europe, especially France and including Lascaux. Are the paintings symbolic representations of ancient mythologies? Are the strange geometric symbols a kind of notation and writing? Were the shaman-artists the leaders of the tribes?

Like many discoveries, this one was somewhat accidental. Reznikoff first noticed the strategic placement of cave art while visiting Le Portel, a Paleolithic cave in France, in 1983. As an expert in the acoustics of 11th- and 12th-century European churches, Reznikoff often hums to himself when entering a room for the first time so he can “feel its sounds.” His humming quickly pointed to the exceptional acoustical properties of the cave. Research has followed and Reznikoff will present his latest findings this week at the annual meeting of the Acoustics Society of America in Paris.

An article in the National Geographic News cites Paul Pettitt, who is a Paleolithic rock art expert at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. According to Pettitt, who was not involved in the study, “In a number of decorated caves the images cluster in certain areas,” Pettitt said. “They are not randomly distributed but seem deliberately placed, with areas of perfectly ‘paintable’ walls ignored, and in a number of cases the paintings cluster in areas of resonance.”

When the most-resonant spot in a cave was located in a very narrow passageway too difficult for painting, red marks are often found, as if the resonance maximum had to be signified in some way. This correlation of paintings and music, Reznikoff says, provides “the best evidence for the ritualistic meanings of the paintings and of the use of the adorned caves.”

I agree with Reznikoff that some kind of ritualistic event(s) seems to have been taking place in the caves. Clearly the better acoustics and instruments found nearby point to music. For all of humankind, from primitive or aboriginal tribes to the most sophisticated churches, temples and Mosques, spiritual ritual that involves music almost always involves chanting or singing.

Ritual music also involves organizing a group. While there may be spontaneous moments, there is much to be organized and learned.

The ability of a group, or groups (as there are many caves) of people in locating the best acoustical places within caves indicates a sophistication that would also allow for a passing down of important data from generation to generation. Ritual singing indicates the ability to learn and memorize information and symbols as notes are aural symbols. If a person can learn and use a sophisticated sound symbol, such as a tune or chant, then they can use equally sophisticated visual symbol.

Unlike the work of a lone artists or shaman-artists who found their way into various caves and painted their visions, much the way an artist like Fra Angelico painted in the cells of his monastery. No, these cave paintings were the concerted effort of a group of people possibly an entire tribe, who worked together to locate the best acoustical caves within a complex. This was more like the work Italian Renaissance masters creating commissioned works for the great churches. They had assistants and they were paid (supported) as they worked.

Reznikoff’s findings point to an ongoing use of the caves, rather than a spontaneous artistic painting or musical concert. Just as it does today, a cooperative group effort occurs when that group shares a purpose along with goals that support it. It seems likely, at least to me, that those cave painters were illustrating their spiritual theologies. This would explain why there are paintings of animals that we think were not hunted or rarely seen. Plus, it would explain some of the strange, but common deliberate abstraction and proportional mistakes. What if the animals depicted were symbolic representations of the gods of the Upper Paleolithic peoples?

The mythology of other ancient and primitive peoples often uses animals, or invented beings with combinations of animal characteristics to represent their gods. Using a visual image to represent something is one step away from writing. The earliest writing, such as cuneiform and hieroglyphics used specific symbols to stand for concepts and their combinations became specific words. Chinese and Japanese use a form of this today as the symbols create a kind of pictogram equaling specific words.

In the Origin of Humankind, noted fossil hunter Richard Leakey notes that in addition to depiction of the animals, the cave paintings also include dots, grids, chevrons, curves, zig zags, nestled curves, and rectangles. Are these symbols? Is this a very primitive and elementary form of writing concepts or numbers? Whatever it is, it seems to have meaning that a group of people understood, beyond the visionary work of an artist shaman.

It would have been possible just to find good acoustical spots, even outdoors, to make music and tell stories. The need to find the best acoustical caves in which to create the paintings points to the importance of the paintings to an entire group of people. They do not just “happen” to be there. Given the cold and wet weather outside of the caves at the time, painting in the caves indicates that the works were meant to be preserved. It is possible that these people painted outside the caves, at least at some point. How else would they know of the importance of preserving their works away from the elements?

A group effort that supported the work of an artist, an possibly artist assistants makes more sense to me than the notion of the lone artists working in dark caves. Having others help create torch light, find the materials and mix the paints and sticks or brushes makes the endeavors more feasible, especially considering the paint and supplies and torches and perhaps provisions, including water all hade to be carries into each painted cave.

As a group effort the painted caves point to a level of communal wealth for the tribe as there had to be ample food to supply the artists and possibly the musicians. Perhaps the chief artist was also the tribe’s shaman. The new discovery indicates appreciation and support for artistic talent. Another study also reported in Science Daily, indicates that most people can carry a tune. We know that most people cannot paint or draw at the level of the cave painters. Were these ancient painters in ritual leadership roles, or even leading the community?

“Why would the Paleolithic tribes choose preferably resonant locations for painting,” Reznikoff is reported as saying in the article, “if it were not for making sounds and singing in some kind of ritual celebrations related with the pictures?”

Suggested further reading on Reznikoff’s findings can be found at these links: Science Digest and Live Science and National Geographic News

Collecting art, especially the work of emerging artists can be a savvy investment – or like any investment it can be a somewhat costly mistake.

Somewhat, because if the collector enjoys the art and it enhances their home or place of business, even if the price for the artist’s works decreases, at least one has the art! If a stock, bond or other type of investment looses value all one has are the statements.

Jim Kramer hosts an entertaining and popular program and has written various books about how to invest in the stock market. Kramer stresses that an investor must do her homework on a weekly basis. The days when one bought a stock, especially a blue chip one and just held onto it are over. Investors buy and sell and trade, often daily.

Although collectors also do homework that involves learning about art and artists, the majority of art investments are held for years, possibly decades. This is especially true when collecting the work of an emerging artist as the artist’s career takes time to build. Of course the trick is to find an emerging artist whose work will become more valuable over time.

The Art Market, especially for Contemporary art currently outperforms the stocks, bonds and real estate markets, according to Michael Moses of the Mei Moses family of fine art indices at Beautiful Asset Advisors..

A few weeks ago Lyn Bishop posted a good basic article for new collectors on the blog called “Sharing Secrets”. I previously left a previous comment on Bishop’s blog post with condensed tips for new collectors. Instead of reiterating the information, I include this link: tips to beginning your art collection

We can look back over the history of modern art through living contemporary artists whose work is granted shows in top museums and galleries while the price for their works continues to rise at auction to find commonalities that seem to hold true for today.

Talent and determination are key shared factors. Successful artists, once they decide to be artists just do not give up. For his time, Vincent van Gogh became an artist later in his life, after several failed careers. However, once he began to paint, the fact that his work was not selling never deterred him. It wasn’t that failure was not an option – quitting was not an option. The same can be said for certainly every great artists, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, but also others whose works continue to appreciate in value.

Passion indicates determination, not necessity. Many people appear to have passion but the true test of passion is the person’s determination to continue no matter what.

Although galleries and dealers that sell works by emerging artists tout degrees from good art schools, especially new MFAs, as it lends credibility to an artist whose resume is scant for achievements. The fact is that many people finish school in one discipline, but eventually have a career in another. I know people who used to be lawyers and doctors who switched careers to work in entertainment, open restaurants or other businesses, etc. Most people with MFAs in fine art are not full time artists, although many may be associated with art as teachers, designers, gallery owners, etc. A mountain of educational debt does not insure an artist, or anyone will continue down the career path they were trained for.

True, a truly determined artist will find a way to obtain artistic education, however this may not be an MFA.

The determined artists seem to have a driving need to communicate. Visually they have something that they are bent on communicating, it is their preferred “idea” to communicate, and frankly, if they were not creative artists we would think of them as obsessive. So without meaning it as a clinical diagnosis let’s look at the “obsessions” of some artists: van Gogh – Showing emotion through painting; Monet – showing the ever changing aspects of light through painting; Warhol- the de humanizing mechanical nature of our popular culture; Cindy Sherman – identity through roles; and the list could go on and on. It’s not about exploring or expressing one’ self, these determined artists have something that again and in many ways they are determined to communicate.

If you are familiar with the work of any of the great artists, especially Modern and Contemporary artists who could choose their subjects and paths, there is a demarcation point somewhere in their career when suddenly the artist becomes inspired with what becomes their “idea” and their style somewhat changes and then there is just no stopping them. Sometimes this artistic Aha! change involves a change on locale, as it did for Georgia O’Keeffe and Gauguin. Sometimes an artist develops a theoretical idea as Picasso and Braque did with cubism and Seurat with Pointillism.

The almost obsessive determination to communicate an idea seems to result in a unique style. Monet and Renoir, both Impressionists would often paint en plein air together yet their canvases are easily distinguished. Their messages, although enjoying the Impressionist understandings are different. Their styles are unique due to their unique visions.

The new collector who has been researching by attending the top notch galleries and fairs and museums, reading the art magazines and newspapers will be acquainted with the work of the contemporary and living artists whose works are in the biennials and special museum shows. In other words, the work of these artists is established.

Look for the up and coming artist whose work can be understood as a next step from the newest but established art. What is the next step to Pop, Minimalism, Conceptualism, or Neo-Expressionism? What is the next step from Chuck Close, Damian Hirst, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons or Lawrence Weiner? When you see the work of an emerging artist ask yourself, how is this a next step?

There is a delightful book, a kind of journal really by Michael Corbin entitled The Art Of Everyday Joe: A Collector’s Journal. It is a rather large paperback that is perfect summer reading with chapters that are short, lively and personal, a bit like reading someone’s diary. Corbin interweaves good information for the new collector with champagne taste but a beer budget into his entries.

Michael Corbin exclusively collects emerging artists, at least by my definition. I define an emerging artist as one who is not yet in the collections of major museums, or been in the Whitney Biennial, or whose prices for even a large piece, 6 foot by at least 4 feet are well under $100, 000. Personally, after reaching any of those milestones, one has emerged!

Corbin is much more of a collector than investor as he buys what he appreciates, without looking at the purchase as an investment and collects eclectically the works of many artists in many styles. There is one chapter where he is describing his problem of finding space, even storage space for the newest works that have just been delivered. As an artist, with an ever growing “collection” of completed paintings and prints, plus blank canvases and other materials, I laughed with appreciation.

To Recap:

• 1. Do your homework and research (see Lyn Bishop’s blog)
• 2.. Find passionate and determined artists with unique vision whose work takes the next step in the progression of art.
• 3. Do not buy anything unless you personally like or appreciate it.
• 4. With a nod to Michael K. Corbin, enjoy the adventure of collecting.

Do fine art and visual images help promote religious tolerance?

Many faiths are flourishing in America, but a new study indicates that religious tolerance is flourishing as well. Yesterday, the NY Times ran an article about a study that was conducted by the US Religious Landscape Survey that indicates that “although a majority of Americans say religion is very important to them, nearly three-quarters of them say they believe that many faiths besides their own can lead to salvation.”

The survey (Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life) did not search for the causes of this tolerance, which goes beyond the principles of the Constitution where Americans are granted religious freedom. There is a huge difference between tolerating another’s right to worship as one pleases and accepting that there are many paths that can lead to “eternal life”.

This shift, especially for American Christians and Muslims is recent. Although Americans have always been legally able to practice whatever religion they choose, more Americans have investigated other beliefs and practices and even switched religions or denominations than ever before. The survey as well as what seems to be called the Oprah phenomena shows that strict adherence to the theology or dogma of one’s religion is no longer the norm. Religious Americans, those who attend services and practice their beliefs have also incorporated other practices and beliefs into their lives.

What caused this shift?

The rise of personal religious tolerance and freedom seems to parallel the spread of the use of Internet and Cable TV. We have more access to alternative programming and ideas. We also know how to easily pick and choose, taking what we like and leaving the rest.

An example of this is how we manage to tune out advertising messages that accompany our selected shows and sites. Back in the early days of TV, if people liked the show, and then they would buy the advertised product by association. Statistics show that concept is less relevant today. We have learned to pick and choose what part of the message we appreciate and accept and what we ignore.

PSALM 133 (Oprah Winfrey) Essence Portrait series by Judy Rey Wasserman 2008 Strokes: Original letters of Psalm 133 Pen & ink

Oprah Winfrey has introduced her TV audience to many different and new paths, some spiritual, others religious. Oprah explores whatever she finds that seems to offer improvement and hope for the lives of her audience, yet sometimes appears skeptical of what her “expert” guests advise. Yet, Oprah is tolerant and quite generous to others who are less tolerant. A quick look at the discussion boards on the oprah.com website reveals posts by those who vehemently disagree and even dislike both Oprah and her show while proclaiming their own religious theology as the only to (using the survey’s words) “eternal life”. As long as these posters follow the normal web comment and discussion post guidelines, they are permitted to air their views on Oprah’s website. In addition to Oprah, apparently most Americans are applying their skills to pick and choose messages that are relevant for their own lives to their own religious beliefs and practices. Oprah Winfey’s communications empire has expanded with our technology. Oprah knows how to use visual imagery, her own and others, to create an impact. She uses film clips and images more than any popular talk show host or show.

Our technology not only connects us, is visually connects us. If you access the Internet on a daily basis, have a mobile visual device and TV, you probably see more images created by people (including those with cameras) on a daily basis, than have been seen before by anyone in any previous time before the Internet, cable TV and mobile devices.

Thanks to the Internet, we have instant access to the visual image of many of the world’s great art treasures. As I create blogs and the ebook I am working on that refers to various famous artworks and artists, a quick Google search provides plenty of links to information and images. Try it for yourself. Google the word “Guernica” for Picasso’s famous painting and pages and pages of links come up. Then go to Google Images, and use the keyword, “Guernica”. We can easily find images of people, places and things on the Internet, and for images, language is never a barrier to communication.

We not only see more images, we see them more rapidly as our brains have learned to decode the meaning of the rapidly changing light rays into images quickly. Commercials, films, videos that are made today, especially those with FX, would have been difficult for people to actually see seventy five years ago as many of the images flash by too rapidly. We learned how to see rapidly changing, even flashing images.

Although most of the films with exciting visual images and F/X are aimed at that teenage male audience, they are also the films that are generally the real box office hits. People, including me and I am a boomer gal, do go to see these films when storyline combines with great F/X on the big screen. Our love of the visual is helping sell those big and wide screen TVs, too. Visually, films have taken us into to strange and exotic places, including ancient temples, pyramids, mosques, churches, synagogues, and other real or imagined holy sites

The art market continues to boom, despite economic problems in other sectors. Museum attendance, gallery show attendance and the public’s interest in art, including for Contemporary Art, also continues to grow. We flock to see images even when they are not on a screen

Artists tend to create works, even commissioned religious works, that show their own religious or spiritual understandings. Rembrandt, van Gogh, Da Vinci, Chagall, Kandinsky, and Rothko had different personal understandings and theologies. A major art museum is dedicated to showing great art, and easily tolerates all theologies if the art is great.

As a society, we revere our art museums. Cities and communities that have art museums tout their exhibits and if possible, collections. When people travel (and possibly coincidentally, but as the use of the Internet has grown travel has also increased) these museums) to New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Rome, Madrid, etc., they often include visiting the famous art museums. Great art museums are modern castles in the kingdoms that stand for religious tolerance.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses art that ranges from almost prehistoric to Contemporary. The collection’s pieces include art that is religious or spiritual from every current major world religion, many minor religions and religions that are no longer practiced, plus items that archeologists and art historians believe may have had some religious importance for an ancient people. And, these artworks are important to us, to the visitors and the community.

The Met and all the great art museums of the world have large and active websites. We want to show our collected communal treasures to the world.

Have visual images, especially art helped promote religious tolerance? Have the new technologies that allow us to easily and quickly share our images with one another, across former boundaries of nationality, age, gender, race, language and religion promoted more tolerance amongst Americans?

As an artist and founder of Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art theory, the first theory of art to actually reference most of the world’s great religions (plus science), I think art can impact how we see our world. What do you think?

Recent understandings in medical and neuroscience about how we see has tremendous importance for visual artists, and also anyone involved in the art world.

Vision is the primary perceptual sense for anyone who is not seriously vision impaired. Visual perception is so basic that it is the one sense we must shut off when we go to sleep.

The fact that we stand tall, gives us an advantage over most animals on the planet, which is how we developed our reliance and fairly well developed vision. Carnivorous flying birds also enjoy especially excellent eyesight, in some ways usually better than our own, especially birds who hunt at night such as owls or soar the highest, eagles and hawks.

All that our eyes actually perceive are light rays. Those eagle, hawk and owl eyes may perceive more light rays, but we still have better vision. Human beings can see more than any living creature on earth. Why?

Our human brains.

We have binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, infrared lenses and other inventions that allow us to see far beyond the capacity of our eyes, or those of the birds.

Each normally sighted individual had better functional vision based on his or her brain. One half of the back part of the human brain is devoted to the business of seeing. There are over one hundred billion nerve cells in the cortex, the area of the brain that most deals with sight.

As an artist this gives me a kind of job security. Visual art is never going to go out of fashion when half of a person’s brain is devoted to seeing!

Neuroscience has also recently discovered that a person’s brain can continue to grow and expand, make more connections, grow more cells throughout life. In relation to sight they have learned that when a person’s brain is injured, from a stroke, injury or operation that often over time the person can make new connections and that one area of the brain often takes over the former duties of the damaged or missing part.

Therapies, such as Vision Restoration Therapy, based on breakthroughs in neuroplacticity, help people learn how to see when parts of their brains that are necessary for full vision are compromised. Visual exercise for the brain can help create stronger brains and sight.

Medical advances have repaired eyes that were blind in adults who have been blind from birth or early childhood. After the first few operations, after the doctor removes the bandages, examined the patient and declared the operation to be a medical success, the family and friends of the patient gathered around so the patient could see them. Much to their dismay, the newly sighted patient still could not see them!

Although the formerly blind now had eyes, they had no information in their brains to compare the impressions of light that their eyes were receiving to, so they could decode those impressions into meaningful vision. The newly sighted only recognized who was in the room by their voices, being still functionally blind.

If you can read this text you have well trained and sophisticated eyesight, far more sophisticated than that of the majority of people who have lived on earth, just by the fact that you can recognize the different letters one fro another, and then their combinations into words, which you also differentiate.

There is a story, that I have heard in various ways, that seems to be true. Essentially a century or so ago, a missionary, or perhaps it was a doctor or doctor or anthropologist took the chief of a very primitive tribe on a special trip to a city to introduce “civilization”. They went to a museum or special traveling exhibit of famous realistic artists (probably Impressionism was too new to be included back then). The chief looked at the paintings, following his friend who marveled at the works. As they discussed the paintings it became apparent that the chief only saw bright colored stuff (paint). He had no idea that the paint created images, as that is a learned idea and experience. Only after the idea was shown to the chief did he begin to see the images and appreciate the art.

Now science tells us that the more art the chief saw the more experiences data his brain would collect, which would increase his ability to appreciate art. The connections in his brain would increase from his new visual experiences.

People who live in industrialized society where a steady stream of images from PCs, TVs, magazines, billboards, neon signs, images on cell phones, etc., are normal are developing visual vocabularies that allow them to understand visually transmitted information faster with greater depth of understanding than all previous generations.

Perhaps the art market remains booming not only because it is now fully international, but because people of wealth and/or education have a more developed visual sense than ever before, making visual art all the more relevant.

Since so much of the human brain is devoted to sight as it is the dominant sensory perception, and a healthy human brain can continue to make connections, create cells and hence “grow” during a person’s whole lifetime then a visual artist has opportunities, challenges and perhaps self-selected responsibilities beyond other kinds of artists. That humans vision is sighted humanity’s primary perceptual sense gives visual artists a better chance of inspiring and communicating with others, assuming the artist has talent, training and a vision (world view, spirituality, wisdom, etc.) to share and can make it accessible to others.

Great visual art was changing individual lives, including mine as a young girl growing up in NYC, prior to recent scientific discoveries about the way we see and how the brain works. Artists and art lovers knew that art could be meaningful and important; we just didn’t know that humans are especially wired to make visual experiences more relevant than any other kind.