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fact that where we want to go
may not exist), an answer dances
in Evans’ work. “Purity and simplicity
are virtues. So is beauty.
Beauty is important because it
stimulates senses and attracts
attention to unfamiliar places and
ideas. Beauty is also important,
because only beautiful things
will be remembered.” Surfaces
have always been associated
with insignificance. Beauty is
only skin deep, as they say. But
that is exactly Evans’ point. We
fear surfaces, the beginnings of
things, because we fear the inevitable
dissolution of the illusions
that prop them up. Get over it.
Enjoy the gift of impressions, of
fleeting presence, of the dawn
of January for its own sake. The
New Year makes us uncomfortable
the way Evans’ art makes us
uncomfortable, the way beauty
makes us uncomfortable. Silk
slipping through fingers, skin
slipping from bone. We cannot
hold it in our hands. Our future is
not made of marble. We can only
feel, only caress those parts of life
that are beautiful. And a new year
is truly, truly beautiful. Surfaces
are anything but skin deep.
I asked Evans about what he personally
does to keep the human
fear of surfaces at bay. I will leave
his answer here in full: “For me,
painting provides peace and fulfillment.
This is not only surface.
Experiencing the process always
brings a feeling of satisfaction
that goes beyond the quality of
the finished painting. Beginning
a day viewing forest, birds and
sunrise and then painting is a
blessing… Desert sunrises and
sunsets are even more beautiful.
Relax; meditate. Trust your feelings
and enjoy your existence.
Let your thoughts expand beyond
the surface. Like a man
who owns one of my paintings
states, “Notice how colors and
shapes change with different
points of view and changes in
the time of day and lighting.”
Good luck in 2019!
“Approaching the Light”
(2011, acrylic on linen)