Assimilation

Tourist is a dirty word to the typical year-long residents of the many locales I visit. Maybe that is why I am more interested in the immersion of living in a place for a brief period of time, rather than just taking a visit.

Artists continuously have to face the challenge of interpreting and describing their ever evolving body of work. Producing artist’s statements are the traditional approach to facing this problem. I’ve written my share of these statements over the years as I have attempted to keep up with my own creative evolution.

My most recent foray described my interest in the community of over 6,000 Jews living in the Santa Fe high desert. As I continued my journey over the past ten or so months, I have recently begun to find my work move away from the landscape and return toward the figure. How much of this has to do with a fear of success? My sales were finally reaching a point of sustainability within these last two years of my painting landscapes. Then again, how much of my re-conversion to this “church of the figure” has to do with an exploration of society from a “less-removed” perspective? Have I stepped forward from my state of watchfulness, to a new and more intimate perspective? Is this what assimilation is really all about? I’m suddenly less concerned with painting the merits of local Judaism in relation to societal expectations. I feel I’ve said my peace on this subject. So under what artist’s statement do my new scrolls fit? Is assimilation the general umbrella for not just the new works but also the past pieces? Can these paintings become rolling commentary on the varied societies across the ever-changing American landscape?

If I can say nothing else about northern New Mexico, the food is phenomenal. I know of few other communities of this size (Santa Fe population: 60k) that can boast quality Indian, Vietnamese, Thai and… of course… Mexican food all on the same street. Last week I even ate at a Hawaiian/Chinese Wok. This variety I love comes from one basic source – the people. The term I most remember from secondary history classes is “melting pot”. It was used to describe America and the manner in which its citizens reside. Ironically, I think in terms of food when judging the cultural-blend of a region. The expression “Melting pot” becomes even more appropriate within that framework.

What does this perspective of assimilation now allow me in the context of creating a conversation in my scroll paintings between the figure, landscape and deeper acknowledgement of a multicultural society? - DN