We live in a society where “more” is constantly encouraged. More money, more things, more food, more drink, more travel, more experiences, more friends. We also live in a time where the need to buy less, travel less and do less is becoming more and more evident. This constant need for “more” is bringing us down on an environmental, economical and spiritual level The new year is a perfect time to think of how we can incorporate more of “less” into our lives. I often tell students that it takes more courage to do an art work that has less in it. People sometimes scoff at minimalist work because they think it looks easy. It isn’t. Mark Twain once apologized to a friend for writing a long letter, saying that he “didn’t have time to write a short one”. When I’m involved in the editing process of writing, my first goal is to take out all the unnecessary items. It is surprising how we can fill our writing and our work with a lot of extraneous material that would not be missed if deleted or left out.
Paul Cézanne: Almond Trees in Provence 1990
I’ve always admired Cezanne’s watercolours, sometimes more so than his canonical oil paintings. In the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century watercolours were mostly categorized as “drawings” as they were considered to be studies for larger paintings. Cezanne considered his watercolours to be finished works. I am amazed at his ability to leave so much out. Anyone who has used watercolour knows that this light touch is hard to achieve. The empty space in Almond Trees in Provence (above) makes us pay more attention to the small amount of detail that is there. Leaving so much of the paper’s surface as an integral part of the composition, is an act of courage.
Paul Cézanne In the Woods, 1900
The painting of the forest above is an example of how the repetition of abstracted shapes and lines gives the effect of a complex forest. The simplicity of this work, allows the viewer to trace each of the singular brushmarks made by Cezanne throughout the construction of this painting. There is a beautiful purity in the use of transparent watercolour; every shape and mark made can be seen. Nothing is hidden by layers of overpainting as is often the case with oil painting. The work is deceptively simple. As with most of his watercolours, the above painting reveals a complex transition and layering of space leaving the colour of the paper to exist as foreground, middle ground and background.
Paul Cézanne, Rocks near the Caves above Château Noir, 1895-1900
Cezanne’s painting of rocks done at the end of the 19th century, is as fresh as if it was done today. The drawing appears to be a merging of a scientific study with a rough sketch. For Cezanne this is as close to an exact representation of how he sees as he can get. The more you look at it, the more you see Cezanne’s attention to detail: when drawing, he is totally focused on paying attention to how he sees as much as what he sees. This work is both representational and abstract and is indicative of Cezanne’s unique way of seeing forms in nature. Again, what is not drawn or painted is as powerful as the rest of the forms.
Paul Cézanne Still Life with Carafe, Bottle, and Fruit, 1906.
Cezanne’s Still Life with Carafe, Bottle and Fruit is another example of how the untouched paper can play a variety of roles in the composition: it is the foreground and the background and it is also the space in and around the objects. The “empty” paper creates a sense of three-dimensional space while paradoxically flattening the picture plane by framing the composition. This is representation verging on abstraction. The tentative lines become a simple way to capture the changing light moving over an object. These seemingly hesitant lines are anything but. These lines are confident and deliberate. Cezanne knew it was impossible to paint nature from one point of view because that is not how our vision works. The short, quick, nervous line-work captures the fluctuating way our eyes and brain perceive objects before us.
Paul Cézanne Bathers circa 1890
I always smile when people say that they can’t take an art course because they can only draw “stick figures”. If they can do that, then they are already on the the way to understanding how little you need to represent a figure. According to Wikipedia, “[t]he stick figure is a universally recognizable symbol, in all likelihood one of the most well known in the world. It transcends language, location, demographics, and can trace back its roots for almost 30,000 years”. Cezanne’s dynamic human forms, while being a far cry from “stick figures”, are also created with a series of lines. The repetition of short lines throughout enhances the overall sense of movement and activity. The painted negative shapes help transform the linear elements into three-dimensional form.
An exhibition of Cezanne’s painting is on at the Tate Modern until March 2023. I did contemplate travelling to London to see this, but in the spirit of doing less, I decided against it. Instead I will spend more time looking at reproductions of Cezanne’s drawings and attempt to understand how is it possible to make a drawing that contains so little.
A video showing some close-up views of Cezanne’s drawings and watercolours can be viewed here: Cezanne’s Drawings at MoMA. A panel of artists (including Julie Mehretu) discussing the Cezanne exhibition at MoMA is an excellent way to learn more about how his drawings are as alive today as they were over 100 years ago: Virtual Views: Cezanne’s Drawings.
A lot of us find ourselves with a need to cut back on spending as the year 2023 is bringing with it more economic uncertainty. Studying art through books and reproductions and making art can provide some of the excitement travel offers, but without the expense. I’m not saying that reproductions can replace travel since nothing compares with seeing original works of art and the excitement of being in a new place. However art making provides a stimulation to the mind and soul, as well as an opportunity for self discovery and reflection. These are also amongst the many things people seek through travel.
While taking an art course might seem expensive at the outset, courses at VISA work out to $13.75/hour. A well-loved former VISA instructor, Xane St Phillip, always told students that art courses, even after factoring in the cost of supplies, are a much more economical option than psychological counselling at $200/hour. An art course or workshop will open your mind up to new ways of seeing the world and will also reveal to you what you can do when your hands, eyes and mind work together to create something that never existed before. If you are one of those that hesitate to take an art course because you can only draw stick figures, I’m here to tell you they are just a combination of lines. If you can make lines, you can draw.
An excellent example of stick figures from pre-historic times
Wendy Welch
Executive Director, VISA
Contemporary Art Thoughts 