Daniel Chard
"The Hidden Language of Art"
"The Hidden Language of Art"
Critiquing painting has been my life. It paralleled my development as a painter and teacher through the 1960s and beyond. I always felt challenged to better understand the language of art as I reached past my own knowledge and sensibility. Critiquing paintings in SoHo and Chelsea New York art galleries began with my mentor––an abstract expressionist––who helped me explore beyond what I knew and what I had seen.
Understanding the language of art––to the extent that I now understand it––required curiosity, questioning, a critical eye––some humility––and years of practice. It required letting go of assumptions and knowledge and “going with” new possibilities for expression, beyond what was familiar and comfortable.
But for me, curiosity and wonder were part of childhood––trying to figure out how things worked, how life worked––more from awareness than from knowledge. Exploring painting––with its endless possibilities––became not only an exploration of life––and our shared humanity––but a process of self-examination.
After decades of art experience within life experience, I began writing about what I learned and discovered. I wrote about my family culture and how childhood wonder and curiosity grew into a creative adult life as teacher and painter.
With a down-home family culture and a career in academic life, I discovered that I had a dual life. Living in two worlds that were far apart, this dual life had me with one foot planted in each side of the American culture wars. My recent book, Heart: Discord and Reconciliation within an American Life, describes how I navigated relationships among friends and family within the culture wars, finding reconciliation and peace within myself.
Critiquing painting has been my life. It paralleled my development as a painter and teacher through the 1960s and beyond. I always felt challenged to better understand the language of art as I reached past my own knowledge and sensibility. Critiquing paintings in SoHo and Chelsea New York art galleries began with my mentor––an abstract expressionist––who helped me explore beyond what I knew and what I had seen.
Understanding the language of art––to the extent that I now understand it––required curiosity, questioning, a critical eye––some humility––and years of practice. It required letting go of assumptions and knowledge and “going with” new possibilities for expression, beyond what was familiar and comfortable.
But for me, curiosity and wonder were part of childhood––trying to figure out how things worked, how life worked––more from awareness than from knowledge. Exploring painting––with its endless possibilities––became not only an exploration of life––and our shared humanity––but a process of self-examination.
After decades of art experience within life experience, I began writing about what I learned and discovered. I wrote about my family culture and how childhood wonder and curiosity grew into a creative adult life as teacher and painter.
With a down-home family culture and a career in academic life, I discovered that I had a dual life. Living in two worlds that were far apart, this dual life had me with one foot planted in each side of the American culture wars. My recent book, Heart: Discord and Reconciliation within an American Life, describes how I navigated relationships among friends and family within the culture wars, finding reconciliation and peace within myself.
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Today’stalk and visual presentation connects childhood wonder and curiosity with the art experience, and the expressive language of art that is hidden from view of the average spectator. Further, that language is there to be experienced in the most personal way, beyond technique, method and knowledge.
Painting masterworks––and other art forms––are perceived and exist as energy, as a dynamic; through decades and centuries, the heart and soul of masterworks are experienced as phenomena. As Rembrandt or Caravaggio experienced the phenomena and dynamics of their work, so we––in the 21st century––can largely experience their work as they did, beyond art history knowledge. But, we can also become aware of the interference that limits or blocks what is there to be felt and experienced, what gets in the way of a richer more rewarding art experience.
My goal is to raise awareness of what’s there as well as what may have been overlooked.
Painting masterworks––and other art forms––are perceived and exist as energy, as a dynamic; through decades and centuries, the heart and soul of masterworks are experienced as phenomena. As Rembrandt or Caravaggio experienced the phenomena and dynamics of their work, so we––in the 21st century––can largely experience their work as they did, beyond art history knowledge. But, we can also become aware of the interference that limits or blocks what is there to be felt and experienced, what gets in the way of a richer more rewarding art experience.
My goal is to raise awareness of what’s there as well as what may have been overlooked.