Every movement of the brush on the canvas alters the shape and implications of the image. That is why real painting is a mysterious and continuous struggle with chance - mysterious because the very substance of the paint, when used in this way, can make such a direct assault upon the nervous system; continuous because the medium is so fluid and subtle that every change that is made loses what is already there in the hope of making a fresh gain.
The quote you see above originates from a 1953 interview with Francis Bacon, which has more recently surfaced in a book entitled Incunabula. The volume serves as a sort of visual record of Bacon's working practice, and his source images which were most influential to him. It's most enlightening for those of you who may be familiar with his work, simply because covers everything from wartime photos, to newspaper clippings, with instances of his own personal photography as well as personal sketches.
The sketch in the photo is from my own personal journal, and depicts a painting which Bacon executed in 1982 - Study of the Human Body.
No comments:
Post a Comment