i was a painter for as long as i could be. it was about 20 years that i twisted my time and my eye and my mind into paint. it still calls me. i breath a little faster when i smell the paint. and the ideas have never stopped. there are painters who i binge on, a handful who's every line i recognize. francesco clemente is one who has drawn me into his cavity. the beautiful hollow opening to his vision. my first extended stay in europe was the summer of 1987. 3 voluptuous months. and several weeks were devoted to chasing art across western europe. museums everyday. the basel art fair. cathedrals. architecture. ruins. and one group of images stays etched in my memory. it was a retrospective of sorts. drawings by one brilliant hand. there were darkened rooms with tiny sketchbooks. drawings from childhood. drawings from school. and drawings from the professional adult. pages and pages. smudged conte. pencil. watercolor. words scrawled with the lines. and i watched the drawings that were recognizable even in the childish form, grow into the man. i will say again, i have seen alot of art. i've sought out painting eagerly, and this little accidental clemente exhibition has been an influence on me that i am still discovering. i borrowed these images from francescoclemente.net and my blogger format appears to have cropped them. click on the images to see the proper form and cruise through his site if you're interested in seeing more.
