The abstract painter, like the Taoist, approaches the uncertainties of art making with the willingness to accept the unknown. As a result, mystery and clarity are unified. The painter is in collaboration with the process of art making, and the Taoist is in harmony with the flow of life. A state of being is established that isn't perfect or imperfect; it simply is. Through this lens, we will discuss the similarities between abstract expressionism and Taoism. Our discussions will be accompanied by passages from the Tao Te Ching, poems by Emily Dickinson, as well as other writers that exemplify the union of opposites.
Class Time:
4 hours of learning!
Each week will address one aspect of Taoism, highlighting artists who embody that aspect. Week one will focus on the work of Lee Bontecou, Joan Mitchell, Nicolas de Stael and Wols (Alfred Schulze) as we unpack the concept of the in-between. Week two, highlighting the work of Kazimir Malevich and Antoni Tapies, we will discuss the concept of uncertainty. Week three will address the nature of becoming as it relates to the work of Jay Dafeo, Eva Hesse, Jackson Pollock and Maria Elena Vieira da Silva. Week four will address the nature of being as it relates to the work of Agnes Martin, Anna-Eva Bergman, Mark Rothko and Robert Ryman.
My name is Butch Merigoni. I'm a drummer, painter, performer, and art history teacher. I remember being introduced to the Tao Te Ching when I was a kid. While not fully understanding what I was reading, I knew, on another level, this was something of real value. Over time, as I started painting, I saw connections between art making and Eastern philosophy. For me, the two practices are a framework through which I can exist in-between the immovable lables of good and bad or perfect and imperfect. I can allow myself to simply make a painting without the weight of justification or end result. In so many ways, this has been the motivation behind every painting, performance and song I've made. It's less about the finished work and more about the state of being that is created through the act of making.
