Philip Mix

"It seems to me that almost all art accomplishes one extraordinary thing; it connects mankind to his ancestry."

There is rarely a moment as I am painting that I don't feel a certain tug; the solitude of my studio is burgeoning with artists, their presence seems almost tangible as they witness my struggle, nod in silent approval when the brush is light and quick, sigh wearily when I head off in a false direction.

This Audience, my tutors, knows how tempting it can become to look for tricks, lean on the cleverness of painterly manipulation or overuse of potent color. Their names, most familiar, hardly need introduction: Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse, Denis, and then others: Varley , Harris , Diebenkorn , the list goes on , all in all  quite the band of ill tempered but "worldly wise" pundits.

In my studio, you might say, there are two measures; the straight edge, and the rough path of those who have made paint and canvass immortal. I will say I envy them but I know their journey was anything but enviable.

Albeit, herein enter I, a stoic in search of the 'elegance of simplicity', or so it should appear. In the series "LE DANSE", I have made several significant strides towards that goal. First is the principle of color economy based on a personal theory of tones and chromatic scale that I have been mulling over for two decades.

This basically states that a color is best determined by noting its effect when it is in proximity to a color of like and/or opposite value, thereby creating triads or trios of neighboring zones.   Next is the economy of space: the seamless union of multiple perspectives and the soft contours of human form merging into a geometric playground. Last is the stage for a metaphysical metaphor, including a little bit of practical fun by giving the "The Three Graces" bling and heels.