Outside/Inside

[Marina Dieul]

Alex,
I was very impressed when I first saw this painting in your studio. First, the composition and the color harmony struck me. Then all the layers of symbolism, I wouldn't try to find the exact interpretation, but all those deep themes are present : inside/outside, reflection, the ages of life... etc...
I think this painting have some precise meanings for you and your brother, and for the viewers like us, we can feel and guess. The richness of the possible interpretation is evident, and it's great also to feel it, and not to explain everything with words ( sometimes it will lose something if it's explained with too much rationalism...)

[Alexandra Tyng]

Thank you Carlos, Mary Ann (again), Ilaria and Marina!

Carlos, I'm happy to tell you--you can take the foot out of your mouth. You are right on with the age. It IS neat to have a lighthouse. I enjoy it vicariously.

But, Mary Ann, thank you for pointing out those symbolic meanings of the lighthouse. They are all relevant, I think.


Carlos, Marina and Ilaria--you expressed a certain hesitancy about going on too long with--or delving too deeply into--various interpretations, partly because other people have already come up with a lot, and because as you all said it's not really necessary to know what the artist intended, exactly. Some meanings are personal, but my hope is that the general ideas will be communicated anyway, and that the painting will say something to someone even if they know nothing of the person in this portrait. I think all artists want this to happen when people see their work.

I agree that it is sometimes even detrimental to try to put everything into words. I often try, but at the same time I enjoy the mystery of a painting that cannot be described verbally. If I can impart a little of that mystery I'm happy!

Ilaria, I actually did consider whether I should leave the earlier figure of my brother in the painting! At the time I was painting this I was reading about how Andrew Wyeth would start with an idea involving a person, object or event, and after many studies, would end up eliminating that original element from the final work even though the painting was still about that person or thing or event. I thought seriously about whether the younger figure was necessary. But in the end I decided to keep it because it truly added something. Of course not everyone would agree, but that's what I felt at the time.

Anyway, thank you all for your thoughtful comments. I deeply appreciate them, especially coming from people whose work I admire tremendously.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Chris, I'm sorry I just missed your comments as I was responding to the previous ones. Thank you so much! Yes, I do enjoy complexity. But I also like simplicity. The challenge I think it not going too far with complexity and trying to synthesize it into an overall simplicity. I'm not sure I'm there yet, but are we ever "there?"