Subtleties. I think for most of my artistic life I never really dealt with subtle. Nearly all of my paintings were 'in your face' statements. I keep looking back at my old work in hopes to re-think and re-learn things. I'm finding that my 'best' work from my twenties I didn't really think so much of as being my best work at the time. And in many ways it was on to something much more worth going after than most of the work I did in my late twenties and early thirties. Getting involved in journalism has really helped. This idea that I'm recording, not making statements has helped me see that more subtle thoughts somehow grab my attention for much longer periods of time. Sorta like that new hit song that hits you right away and you can't get enough of it, but then after awhile you find nothing really in it to keep your attention any longer. That in your face, that 'catchy tune' doesn't have the staying power to keep you interested and looking into it further. I think thats why I like the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan so much. Their work has a tendency to have so many layers that you keep coming back. The Dead in their way of seemingly never playing the song the same way twice and Dylan's lyrics are laden with metaphor and imagery that each listen can be interpreted slightly different. Old painting and photographs do this as well. A friend posted a Gerome painting on Facebook today and it reminded me of a little painting at the RISD museum that I return to every so often. It was a simple painting in many ways, but its meaning seems to change each time I look at it. It certainly wasn't considered one of his great works, but in its simplicity--its subtlety there is so much to imagine. I always think that great art, like great poetry doesn't have one meaning, that the meaning evolves with time and the time in which it is viewed. Dated or time specific work seems to leave me flat. In working with clients I realize there needs to be that little bit of 'grab your attention' right away to the work, but when we can work through some of that, and seek something that translates beyond just the surface of 'this is a picture of you' then I think it gets pretty exciting. I guess that is the type of work I am always working toward achieving. Sometimes I find it.....sometimes. Right now I'm working towards finding 'subtle' again. SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer