* *
*
The
source of this ideogram's right element is associated with
militaristic matters as its primitive forms represent a spear and a
halberd. The full character means to attack, subjugate, destroy.
However, a peaceful application of the blade and expanded character
definition is simply to chop, slice, cut, and more specifically to
cut down, as trees for lumber. Hence, the painting,
Hew,
emphasizes this positive aspect but the colors suggest the negative
application as well.
* *
*
In self-reference to the source
character, meaning twice, again, and anew, the colors of the central panels of
the painting Encore
reflect the peripheral
sections.
* *
*
The seal
script of this character depicts two hands in agreement.
The standard character seems to have the hands crossed
or clasped.
Friendship
in this ideogram is indicated by the warmth of colors
and the group of triangles.
* *
*
Associated with grass, weeds, straw, and herbs, such plants include
psychedelics or entheogens. Informally, Cannabis, for example, is
called weed or grass. Thus, the painting is appropriately entitled
Entheogen.
The yellow at top may be viewed as a flower or a metaphor.
* *
*
One
ideogram is associated with small bodies of water, such as a pond, a
pool, a moat, and a water tank. Another such place is the title of
the painting,
Reservoir.
* *
*
Lineage,
which resembles a collision of three plus-looking (+) characters
representing the number 10, hence 30, is associated with generation
(30 years),
era, and world, depending on context. [Chinese actually juxtaposes
the two characters for three and ten to mean 30.] Color patterns
indicate the changes occurring with each generation.
* *
*
Mountains are
the legendary abodes of deities, geniis/jinns, but also
sages who are often depicted in front of caves. The Chinese
character is simply "mountain man" and is associated with
the Eight Immortals of Chinese mythology. In American
culture during the expansion of the nation, mountain men
were independent trappers of the fur trade and territorial
explorers.
Mountain Hermit
is more mundane.
* *
*
Kindred Spirits
is a more
modern abstract pattern from the
original character, which is associated with similarity,
likeness, resemblance, and equivalence. Pictorially,
when reduced to basic geometrics, the three intersected
linear elements do seem related.
Screen image
does injustice to the actual central background hue,
which varies in ambient light: in
bright shade it has only a tint of pale green, but in
reduced light the green is more obvious, darker, and muted like
adjacent hues for an even tone. The computer processed imaged seems
more 'parchment' in hue.
* *
*
Bold black on reds is the derived
character meaning no or not. On a recycled canvas,
No is painted
over a grid of circles, which in oblique light may be detected. The resulting
significance of this ideogram
on such a subtle,
largely hidden background is open to the viewer.
* *
*
Antiquity
is derived from the character meaning old, antique, and formerly. The bronze
color and earthy colors, with gemlike rectangles, suggest archeological
artifacts.
* *
*
Based on abbreviation of elements,
particularly in Japanese kanji, and symbolized further with circles is
Music: La Mer.
The character is associated with
music, pleasure, and happiness.
* *
*
Into the Light
can be viewed as a pathway with blocked distractions by those unfamiliar with
the Chinese character of light, bright, clear, evident. The two sides of the
ideogram are radicals for sun and moon.
* *
*
This somber ideogram
Gloom,
derived from the Chinese, is associated with sadness, grief, worry, and pity.
* *
*
Quartet of Ideograms:
After a creative hiatus of 6 months during which the new book Resonance was
published, comes a return to Chinese ideograms in a different stylistic
exploration. Chosen for their spatial arrangement of strokes and spaces, not for
meaning, four ideograms serendipitously could be arranged, with poetic license,
to an interesting sentence.
