Together Alone

These past few months, since The Corona arrived, we’ve all been trying to keep our Social Distance. We’ve been engaged with social media, reading books, gardening. All good things, but mostly solitary pursuits.
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That got me to thinking about the theme of the solitary figure in Art. From Renaissance to contemporary, examples abound. de Vinci, Vermeer, Hopper, and Picasso all painted solo figures.

I wondered why so many artists painted so many solo people. So, I did a little research regarding the solitary figure in art. (OK, I googled it.)

There seem to be two schools of thought...

From Artsy.net... 

“As it is typically the fate of an artist to work alone, isolation and alienation are frequent themes throughout the history of art.”

That's kinda heavy. Maybe I was thinking more of portraiture.

From WideWalls.ch magazine ...

“What makes [portraiture] so magical is its ability to depict not only the physical but also psychological characteristics of a figure. When it comes to painting people, we simply like to watch other people’s faces and figures.”

​That’s more like it.

When I’m painting, I may be alone, but I’m trying to communicate with an unknown viewer. It’s my message in a bottle, my attempt to convey a thought or emotion. I send my creations out into the world, hoping they will find a receptive mind.

Here’s one of my recent efforts...

I hope she finds a receptive audience.

OK, that’s all for now. Wash your hands. Wear your mask. Keep your distance.

Until next time...

​drj

PS: I recently joined the San Antonio Artists Collective (more about that later). You can see - and purchase - my work at gallerysa.com.