"Painters have always needed a sort of veil upon which they can focus their attention. It's as though the more fully the consciousness is absorbed, the greater the freedom of the spirit behind"
- Bridget Riley
About this Quote
In this quote, Bridget Riley, a renowned British painter understood for her operate in the Op Art movement, touches on the complex relationship in between focus, awareness, and poetic license. Riley suggests that painters require an intermediary "veil"-- a point of focus or approach through which they channel their attention and energy. This veil can be translated as the procedure, strategy, or even the challenge of the artistic medium that requires intense concentration and immersion.
The "veil" functions as a centerpiece that engages the artist's mindful mind, enabling them to check out the depths of their creativity. This process mirrors how artists often use guidelines or constraints to unlock much deeper imaginative expression, paradoxically discovering higher freedom within structure. For Riley, this focused absorption could mean engaging intricately with patterns, colors, and dynamic kinds intrinsic in her work that need careful attention.
In addition, when Riley discusses "the more totally the awareness is soaked up, the higher the freedom of the spirit behind," she alludes to a state of flow, where mindful effort transforms into an almost meditative experience. In this state, the artists transcend their immediate truth, allowing their subconscious and creative impulses--"the spirit behind"-- to emerge uninhibited. This enables a symbiotic interaction in between restraint and liberty, suggesting that real liberality in art is derived not from an absence of borders, however from the artist's ability to browse and operate within them.
This perspective lines up with the broader understanding of the imaginative process as a disciplined yet liberating endeavor. Through focused dedication to a craft or method, artists have the ability to access richer veins of motivation and innovation. Riley's insights resonate beyond painting, applying to various fields where depth of concentration is necessary for uncovering profound imaginative liberties and meaningful possibilities.
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