It’s wonderful to see abstract painting with great style. I recently spoke with Brad Bannister, a contemporary abstract artist with a growing body of non objective paintings. When I requested an interview for Art Now we decided to limit the interview to a few questions regarding the work process. The following is a transcription of our later interview.
What decisions do you make when you begin a painting? “After I decide the size and shape of the painting, my next considerations relate to any end product ideas that I might have. For instance, if I want to achieve a certain color scheme I may have ideas about what colors I use on the initial phases of the ground or first layer of color. If I decide that the painting will have various different color areas – this is on my mind from the beginning. A later concern is structure or movement in the painting. If I know that I want to end with certain types of shapes or intersections of contrast or arrangement of form, then this is probably second in the time continuum of decision-making. For me, non objective painting does not mean that the finished composition will be “all over” as Jackson Pollock used to say. I know that I will depend on more delineated structures and forms than Jackson Pollock did. But, if you look at even the loosest “all over” paintings of Jackson Pollock or other drippers, you find concentrations and parallels of line and focus of color and rhythms. This is a loose form of structure and movement as I see it.”
Jackson Pollock stated that he thought all good artists paint themselves. He explained his style as a projection or expression of his psyche and his unconscious. Do you consider that your paintings have such meanings? “For me, whether a painting has meaning or not is not important. Whether some meaning is apparent or imagined by a viewer is irrelevant for me. Any non objective painting is not about meaning. I certainly intend no meaning. In fact I always, or at least very usually, try to escape any logical meaning really. As far as expressing myself or painting the real person that I am that is not my goal. My goal is to find a way to mesh color, structure, form, movement, texture into a working, living composition that is free from allegory, allusion, irony, politics, religion or any personal or social concerns whatsoever. I do not live the rest of my life like that, so you could say that I paint the genuine painter that I am. With very abstract painting an artist at least has some style – which is the sum of choices made according to that artist’s own conscious and unconscious set of rules. But analysis of that is immaterial. Does style have a meaning? Abstract painting – non objective painting depends on all those many lines of decision-making that constitute style.
We relate to other people’s styles – or not – just as we relate to their personalities. I can respect a strong style as a style and begin to see the decision-making processes. But I may not like what I see. Other than a style I don’t think non objective painting has any apparent or intended meanings.”
I noticed that you had a rather strong reaction to the suggestion by the curator’s assistant here that an abstract painting could be hung in any direction, or upside down. Would you explain now what you told me again about your reaction to that idea? “Well I know the assistant was joking, at least in part. And I have heard artists and some of the faculty suggest the same idea. These people are saying that a composition should work visually in any direction if it’s good. Why? I do not know. Some of my non objective paintings have been hung like that, once or twice as a joke, once or twice out of ignorance. One time when I objected to the direction, upside down, I received a bit of nonchalance, but I was patient, finally I just said that my signature was upside down. It was funny but also stupid. . . But now on to the earlier explanations I gave to you. For me there is always an up and a down, a right and a left. When I have thought about this I believe it relates to some feeling about writing or a graph or a map or a picture. I know it relates to my preferences about a composition in physical space. I wouldn’t hang a landscape upside down or show you a signed document upside down even if that orientation was also aesthetic. Also, the left to right dimension for me has some connotations about movement through time. It is a lot like handwriting for me. There is an up and a down and a right and a left. I have always been interested in peoples’ signatures. I have studied graphoanalysis, kind of secondary to my formal training in psychology, and I was always struck by the different aesthetics in each person’s signature. And my painting is similar in that respect. The character of line holds a lot of weight in a composition for me. So I am careful about it’s orientation amongst forms for directionality. Also, if I want a line or form in my painting to be experienced in the correct orientation or directionality, I am very careful when I add this element as I walk around a canvas if it’s on the floor or flat on a table. And I look at it carefully when the painting is in an upright position.”
What is your next project? “I am getting ready to create a series of large and very large paintings on canvas. I am also thinking about another project – a series of large mixed-media works with a more sculptural feel, like a relief sculpture. But I really don’t want to talk about those ideas right now. They are still rambling around and formulating without any cohesion yet.”
Can I interview you again for another installment? “Whenever you want. I have enjoyed it.”
Thankyou Brad Bannister for your viewpoints on the creative process for non objective painting. You can see more of Brad’s work at his website.
- Giselle Borzov
