JUST HAVING ANOTHER LOOK

Sometimes, it is worthwhile to have another look at art. Particularly when we talk about abstraction.

The truth is that our brains tend to analyze subconsciously every image that we come across. It is not something we are generally aware of. In fact, we may be aware of about 5% of all input information that our brain processes.

Case in point. A couple of dear friends who used to come to lunch on weekends at my house. For more than a year, there was a big abstract painting on one of the walls in our living room. The painting was big, had lots of color, had spotlights on it dedicated to show it off… it was obviously very visible.

One Sunday, as they came in, one of them said “My God! That is a gorgeous painting. Obviously new...”. Then, and as she turned to look at me, her husband responded surprised “Are you kidding? That painting has been there for about a year…“

Cutting to the chase, the truth is that it took us all a few minutes to finally convince her that, in fact, it had been there all along. Once convinced, I explained what had probably happened. Abstraction, and synesthetic abstraction probably more so, requires our brain to analyze, scan and rescan the graphisms, colors and textures as it looks for clues and decides whether it is going to give you a thumbs up or down. It is obviously looking for those things that will make you hate it, or love it.

Thank God, after a year and at least 10 or 12 visits, her brain suddenly said to her… “please, pay attention to this, it is great“… and so she “saw it” for the first time. That prompted her sudden need to tell us all how much she loved it.

That is not unusual, although it is not a rule either. For those of you with a wider artistic eye, it may be immediate (or at least it will take you a lot less time than 12 months!), to decide whether you like a painting or not.

So, I invite you to have another look at these four paintings of mine. And, above everything, I hope you enjoy them.

Until next time

Ignacio

©2021 by Ignacio Alperin Bruvera

Ignacio Alperin Art
http://www.ignacioalperin.com
http://www.theartofthinkingoutloud.com