I struggle to say anything definitive about these drawings. They are part child’s play, part adult intentional activity; part spontaneous and random, part willful efforting; part my creations, part gifts given to me; part conscious, part unconscious; part meaningful, part meaningless; part something, part no-thing.
Is this art? I don’t really know and, in fact, have a difficult time entering the question. I do know that the process reflected in these drawings begins with open discovery with no idea where I am going. I know the process is unapologetically therapeutic which means I sense no judge, critic, or moral arbiter during the active use of art materials. These are products of freedom and joy even when the imagery is dark or troublesome.
I know that without exception as I draw something happens that takes me to an encounter with the “unexpected.” Do I integrate and use the undesired splotch of paint and smudge of pastel or do I reject that occurrence to start over? The fun and creative challenge is to keep on going and integrate the “mistake.”
It is hard to be convincing that I truly do not know what is going to happen when I pull out a new piece of paper. I simply begin with a mark and then the image emerges from inside out or, even better, reveals itself from underneath the surface. Soon the image informs me what to do. My responsibility is to listen, not to lead.
So enjoy these images. Let your responses be whatever they are. Play with the images and your responses. Notice what you are noticing and join in the dance of Life.
Jared Massanari