Truth in exploration
by Catherine Wenrich Venable
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in
Painting
Montana State University
© Copyright by Catherine Wenrich Venable (1985)
Abstract:
It was the purpose of my Thesis experience to structure an approach that sought a freedom of painting
consistent only in its adherence to principles of honesty in exploration. Bruce Nauman stated, "The true
artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths." I would add that the intent of the artist should be to
reveal truths about events in which the artist is a participant/observer by exploring visually all the
elements which make up this experience.
This process begins with a self-examination of the artist as a participant/observer, faithfully recording
without an eye to the final conclusion.
It became my overall purpose to record certain events by depicting all the nuances of time, place, and
emotions comprising an event without reference to a predisposed result. An event is a generic term
within the limitations of language to describe in a nontemporal sense related happenings that are not
fixed in place, time, or emotions.
To consciously preplan the painting could limit the work to an illustration of a theme or idea. My
purpose was to avoid the trap of preplanning.
Specifically, I purposefully accepted the notion that life is not a series of stand alone tableaus or scenes
as in a roll of film, but rather that life is a continuum of interrelated elements in which the action is a
composite of ever moving time, geography, emotions, reactions, and viewpoints. In the art of painting,
then, life cannot be "stop actioned" as in the Renaissance "window" approach, or by multi viewpointing
a stopped action as in the Cubist approach. Nor can life be painted by abstracting an emotional
response to an event without visual reference to the geographical and temporal relationships which
comprise elements of it. Emotion interpreted without visual reference to the event giving rise to it or to
the time frames (plural) comprising this experience is too ambiguous for me. It is the filtering of truth
rather than providing a whole revelation. To depict an event the painter must give visual substance to
all the elements and show their interrelationships including the artists own participation in it. Thus a
faithful depiction is a conglomeration of all the nuances of information experienced and interpreted by
the participant/observer artist. I seek a recordation in meaningful form of the subtle interrelationships
involved in a total experience: emotionally, temporally, and geographically.
My free play of color introduces emotional responses into the abstract so that they can be depicted with
reference to each other element making up the whole. The color forms also allowed me to visually
highlight different elements both in a geographic and temporal sense. Finally, free play allows the
depiction of contradictions in and among all the elements, particularly when using intense color
combinations.
The use of representational forms allows the viewer to abandon the straitjacket of Renaissance and
Cubists "freeze frames" without confusing the viewer with non-specific abstractions. I use flat shapes
which purposely run countergrain to linear perspective. Thus the viewer is given sign posts of the
territory to be explored without limiting his response to the territory or diverting his attention to the
other elements present.
As Cezanne, Picasso, and Kandinsky used multigeographic viewpoints to convey the reality of
movement in observation and in the scene observed, I too include movement in my depiction. My
works are composites of movement. That which is observed and the participant/ observer/artist both
move geographically, emotionally, and temporally. But since these movements are temporally linked in
a loose fashion my work links the elements of the event in a loop, not a straight line.
The humor in my work is introduced through "irreverent" imagery and tongue in cheek juxtapositions
of color, form, and line. I satirize pretentious high art through an innocent/naive approach to the
production of painting itself. I try to entice the viewer into resolving the paradoxes, ambiguities, and
other puzzles presented by the work so that he or she might ultimately arrive at an understanding of the
truth contained therein.
The outcome of the Thesis experience tended to confirm my approach as valid and productive of
meaningful pieces of work. Generally, I was able to escape the tyranny of linear perspective and the
restrictive confinement "freeze frame" reality imposes on creative thinking. I was able to maintain
representational reference points throughout the work to assist not only myself as the participant/
observer artist, but to give some points of reference to the viewer of the completed work.
Throughout the Thesis experience, I became more successful in avoiding pre-planning a painting. Each
painting was the culmination of an exploratory process in which the depiction of the process was as
apparent as the depiction of the event. In this way the truths revealed were unplanned, spontaneous, and
devoid of manipulation. They became by the very nature of their spontaneity more meaningful. TRUTH IN EXPLORATION-
by C at he ri ne Wenrich Venable
A t h e s i s s ubm itt e d in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t
o f the require me nts f o r th e degree
of
Master o f Fine Arts
..
in
Painting
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY .
Bozeman, Montana
June 1985
VS5
ii
APPROVAL
o f a t h e s i s su bm itt ed by
C at herin e Wenrich Venable
This t h e s i s has been read by each member of the t h e s i s committee
and has been found to be s a t i s f a c t o r y r e g a r d i n g c o n t e n t , English
us ag e , f o r m a t, c i t a t i o n s , b i b l i o g r a p h i c s t y l e , and c o n s i s t e n c y , and
i s ready f o r submission t o the College o f Graduate S t u d i e s .
/ y
Date
/^ r r y
__________
Chair p e r s o n , ,Graduate Cqjrtffii t te e
Approved f o r the Major Department
Approved f o r the College o f Graduate S tu d i e s
Date
Graduate Dean
iii
STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE
In p r e s e n t i n g t h i s t h e s i s in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f t h e r e q u i r e ­
ments f o r a m a s t e r ' s degree a t Montana S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y , I a gre e t h a t
th e L i b r a r y s h a l l make i t a v a i l a b l e t o borrowers under r u l e s o f the
Library.
B r i e f q u o t a t i o n s from t h i s t h e s i s a re a ll o w a b l e w it hout
s p e c i a l p e r m i s s i o n , pro vided t h a t a c c u r a t e acknowledgement of source
i s made.
Permission f o r e x t e n s i v e q u o t a t i o n from o r r e p r o d u c t i o n o f t h i s
t h e s i s may be g r a n t e d by my major p r o f e s s o r , o r in h i s a bse nc e, by th e
D i r e c t o r o f L i b r a r i e s when, in the opini on o f e i t h e r , t h e proposed use
o f the m a t e r i a l i s f o r s c h o l a r l y p u r p o s e s .
Any copying dr use of the
m a t e r i a l in t h i s t h e s i s f o r f i n a n c i a l ga in s h a l l no t be allowed w it h o u t
my w r i t t e n p e r m is s i o n .
S i g n a tu r e
I
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I t was th e purpose o f my Thesis e x p e r i e n c e to s t r u c t u r e an
approach t h a t sought a freedom o f p a i n t i n g c o n s i s t e n t only in i t s
adherence to p r i n c i p l e s o f honesty in e x p l o r a t i o n .
Bruce Nauman
s t a t e d , "The t r u e a r t i s t hel ps th e world by r e v e a l i n g m ys tic t r u t h s . "
I would add t h a t th e i n t e n t o f t h e a r t i s t should be to reveal
t r u t h s about e v en ts in which t h e a r t i s t i s a p a r t i c i p a n t / o b s e r v e r by
e x p l o r i n g v i s u a l l y a l l th e elements which make up t h i s e x p e r i e n c e .
.
This p ro c e s s begins with a s e l f - e x a m i n a t i o n of th e a r t i s t as a
p a r t i c i p a n t / o b s e r v e r , f a i t h f u l l y r e c o r d i n g w i t h o u t an eye t o the
fin a l conclusion.
I t became my o v e r a l l purpose to re c o r d c e r t a i n e v e n t s by
d e p i c t i n g a l l th e nuances o f ti m e , p l a c e , and.emotions comprising an
e v e n t w i t h o u t r e f e r e n c e t o a p re d is p o se d r e s u l t .
An e v e n t i s a
g e n e r i c term w i t h i n th e l i m i t a t i o n s of language to d e s c r i b e in a non­
temporal sense r e l a t e d happenings t h a t a r e not f i x e d in p l a c e , time,
or emotions.
To c o n s c i o u s l y p r e p l a n the p a i n t i n g could l i m i t t h e work to an
i l l u s t r a t i o n o f a theme or i d e a .
My purpose was to avoid the t r a p of
preplanning.
S p e c i f i c a l l y , I p u r p o s e f u l l y a c c e p te d t h e noti o n t h a t l i f e i s no t
a s e r i e s of s ta n d alone t a b l e a u s or sce ne s as in a r o l l o f f i l m , but
r a t h e r t h a t l i f e i s a continuum of i n t e r r e l a t e d elements in which the
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a c t i o n i s a composite o f e v e r moving t i m e , geography, em oti ons,
r e a c t i o n s , and v ie w p o in ts .
In th e a r t o f p a i n t i n g , t h e n , l i f e cannot
be " st op a c ti o n e d " as in t h e Renaissance "window" a pproa ch, o r by
m u lt i v ie w poi nt in g a stopped a c t i o n as in th e Cubist approach.
Nor
can l i f e be p a i n t e d by a b s t r a c t i n g an emotional re sp onse t o an event
w it h o u t v i s u a l r e f e r e n c e t o t h e ge ogr a phic a l and temporal r e l a t i o n ­
s h ip s which comprise elements o f i t .
Emotion i n t e r p r e t e d w it h o u t
v i s u a l r e f e r e n c e t o t h e e v e n t g i v in g r i s e to i t o r to t h e time frames
( p l u r a l ) comprising t h i s e x p e r ie n c e i s too ambiguous f o r me.
I t is
th e f i l t e r i n g o f t r u t h r a t h e r than p ro v id i n g a whole r e v e l a t i o n .
To
d e p i c t an e v e n t th e p a i n t e r must give v i s u a l su bst a nc e t o a l l the
e lements and show t h e i r i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p s i n c l u d i n g the a r t i s t s own
p a r t i c i p a t i o n in i t .
Thus a f a i t h f u l d e p i c t i o n i s a conglomeration o f
a l l th e nuances of in f o r m a t io n e x p er ie n c e d and i n t e r p r e t e d by the
participant/observer a r t i s t .
I seek a r e c o r d a t i o n in meaningful form
o f t h e s u b t l e i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p s invol ve d in a t o t a l e x p e r i e n c e :
e m o t i o n a l l y , t e m p o r a l l y , and g e o g r a p h i c a l l y .
My f r e e p la y of c o l o r i n t r o d u c e s emotional re sp onses i n t o the
a b s t r a c t so t h a t th e y can be d e p i c t e d with r e f e r e n c e t o each o t h e r
element making up t h e whole.
The c o l o r forms a l s o allowed me to
v i s u a l l y h i g h l i g h t d i f f e r e n t elements both in a geographic and
temporal s e n s e .
F i n a l l y , f r e e pla y a llo w s t h e d e p i c t i o n o f c o n t r a d i c ­
t i o n s in and among a l l t h e e l e m e n t s , p a r t i c u l a r l y when usi ng i n t e n s e
c o l o r com bin at ion s.
The use o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l forms allo w s t h e viewer t o abandon
th e s t r a i t j a c k e t o f Renaissance and C u b is t s " f r e e z e frames" w it hout
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c on fu s in g th e viewer with n o n - s p e c i f i c a b s t r a c t i o n s .
I use f l a t
shapes which p urp os e ly run c o u n t e r g r a i n to l i n e a r p e r s p e c t i v e .
Thus
t h e vie wer i s given si g n p o s t s o f the t e r r i t o r y t o be e x p lo re d w it ho ut
l i m i t i n g h i s resp onse t o th e t e r r i t o r y o r . d i v e r t i n g h is a t t e n t i o n to
t h e o t h e r elements p r e s e n t .
As Cezanne, P i c a s s o , and Kandinsky used m u l t i g e o g r a p h i c viewpoints
t o convey t h e r e a l i t y o f movement in o b s e r v a t i o n and in th e scene
ob s er ved , I to o in c l u d e movement in my d e p i c t i o n .
composites of movement.
My works a r e
That which i s observed and t h e p a r t i c i p a n t /
o b s e r v e r / a r t i s t both move g e o g r a p h i c a l l y , e m o t i o n a l l y , and te m p o r a l l y .
But s i n c e t h e s e movements a re t e m p o r a ll y l i n k e d in a lo o s e f a s h i o n my
work l i n k s t h e elements of th e e ven t in a lo op, not a s t r a i g h t l i n e .
The humor in my work i s i n t r o d u c e d through " i r r e v e r e n t " imagery
and tongue in cheek j u x t a p o s i t i o n s o f c o l o r , form, and l i n e .
I
s a t i r i z e p r e t e n t i o u s high a r t through an i n h o c e n t / n a i v e approach to
t h e pro d u c ti o n o f p a i n t i n g i t s e l f .
I t r y to e n t i c e th e vie wer in to
r e s o l v i n g t h e p a ra d o x e s , a m b i g u i t i e s , and o t h e r p u z zl e s p r e s e n t e d by
t h e work so t h a t he o r she might u l t i m a t e l y a r r i v e a t an unde rs ta ndin g
o f the t r u t h c o n ta i n e d t h e r e i n .
The outcome of the Thes is e x p e r ie n c e tended to co nfirm my
approach as v a l i d and p r o d u c ti v e of meaningful p i e c e s o f work.
G e n e r a l l y , I was a b l e to escape t h e ty ra n n y o f l i n e a r p e r s p e c t i v e and
t h e r e s t r i c t i v e confinement " f r e e z e frame" r e a l i t y imposes on c r e a t i v e
thinking.
I was a b l e to m a in ta in r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l r e f e r e n c e p o i n t s
th ro ugh ou t th e work t o a s s i s t not only m y s el f as t h e p a r t i c i p a n t /
o b s e r v e r a r t i s t , but to give some p o i n t s of r e f e r e n c e to t h e viewer of
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t h e completed work.
Throughout t h e The si s e x p e r i e n c e , I became more s u c c e s s f u l in
a vo id in g p r e - p l a n n i n g a p a i n t i n g .
Each p a i n t i n g was th e cu lm in at io n
of an e x p l o r a t o r y p ro c e s s in which th e d e p i c t i o n o f t h e p ro c e s s was
as a p p a r e n t as t h e d e p i c t i o n of th e e v e n t .
In t h i s way th e t r u t h s
r e v e a l e d were unplanned, spo nt an e ou s, and devoid o f m a n ip u la ti o n .
They became by the very n a t u r e o f t h e i r s p o n t a n e i t y more meani ngful.
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LIST OF SLIDES
1.
C ry s ta l Lo nl in es s In B r i t t l e R e l i e f
108" x 65"
2.
The Shade Replied
108" x 65"
3.
A S u n l i t Phoenix
108" x 65"
4.
Su r re a l Evasive St ep pin g o f Familiam C h i l l s
3' x 4'
5.
Clad In White R ecl ini ng
108" x 65"
6.
Pale Flowers On The Mantle
108" x 65"
7.
S a n c t i f i e d In El y si a n F ir e
108" x 65"
8.
Leaves Thick With Memory
108" x 65" ■
9.
Un c erta in Truths
108" x 65"
10.
Wind o f Spices
108" x 65"
11.
F a l l i n g As The S i l e n c e
108" x 65" .
12.
Bend No More In Revery
gg"
x
28"
13.
Gentle Veiled Eyes
22" x 28"
14.
With Ribbons Streaming
22" x 28"
15.
Return No More
22" x 28"
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
762 10020827 9
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