Symvisio II

“Nothing and Everything” (in D major)

Oil on Canvas, 48“ x 210”, 2001

In this composition, I have utilized second-degree curves (conic sections) to form the variations of three simple shapes. Simplicity of the forms and reduction of the number of elements, I believe, are crucial to the overall elegance and comprehension of Symvisios. I have strived for that simplicity. (Of course, the simplest composition would be blank canvasses or no canvas at all. But, that would be a minimization without any constraints, as mathematicians would say. For the completeness of art history, those artistic statements of blank canvases have been made and need not be made again.) However, constraints of the meaning that an artist wishes to express put a lower limit on the level of simplicity attainable in any work of art. That limit, to a great extent, depends on the imagination of the artist.

    Simplicity, though elegant, is not sufficient for my purpose. The variations of these forms and their modulation by color and texture create a perceptual tension that is the primary carrier of the meaning I am trying to convey. That is, the meaning of my work is embedded in the pattern of perceptual forces. Clearly, one cannot express in words whatever meaning is being expressed visually in the pattern of forces. Hence, it is more beneficial and enjoyable to take the titles as guiding posts only and let the composition do its work on one's imagination.