Paying hallucinatory attention, the tricks paintings play on our eyes, chasing beauty in an art world suspicious of it & more with the great landscape painter John McAllister
Beautiful. It just so happens I have Merleau-Ponty's "Cézanne's Doubt" on the nightstand, very much soaking in the same tub – "He wanted to put intelligence, ideas, sciences, perspective, and tradition back in touch with the world of nature which they were intended to comprehend. He wished, as he said, to confront the sciences with the nature "from which they came"" – yet arriving to a very different end result in terms of overall vibe. Cool 🫡
So rich, this. Thank you. I did not know McAllister's work at all - but I've actually lived in Northampton (until very recently), overlapping with him, and for a long time in Oakland, and it is so easy to see the way hikes in both places can invite efforts to re-imagine natural scenes. For some reason the colors he chooses for "Western MA" scenes make sense to me - as if their scenic splendor called out for other places, other tones. I also love his discussion of "tuning" himself. Relatable!
Yes rich is absolutely spot on, the sense of light and leaves and landscape dazzling yet so very peaceful. Fractal fascination. Good for the soul, if such a thing exists.
Beautiful. It just so happens I have Merleau-Ponty's "Cézanne's Doubt" on the nightstand, very much soaking in the same tub – "He wanted to put intelligence, ideas, sciences, perspective, and tradition back in touch with the world of nature which they were intended to comprehend. He wished, as he said, to confront the sciences with the nature "from which they came"" – yet arriving to a very different end result in terms of overall vibe. Cool 🫡
"confront the sciences with the nature from which they came" - wow, and I'm realizing how little I know about Cézanne
In honesty same here… That essay is a good start!
So rich, this. Thank you. I did not know McAllister's work at all - but I've actually lived in Northampton (until very recently), overlapping with him, and for a long time in Oakland, and it is so easy to see the way hikes in both places can invite efforts to re-imagine natural scenes. For some reason the colors he chooses for "Western MA" scenes make sense to me - as if their scenic splendor called out for other places, other tones. I also love his discussion of "tuning" himself. Relatable!
he's really great about talking about what he does - and how & why
Rare trait! I love it when artists can reflect like this. Thanks for sharing your writing on his work.
Yes rich is absolutely spot on, the sense of light and leaves and landscape dazzling yet so very peaceful. Fractal fascination. Good for the soul, if such a thing exists.
Beautiful. Thank you.
Great piece BBSP! Thanks! … planning to go next Friday with a friend… opening hours?? 😘
🔥 The gallery's open 10am-6pm and there's an opening reception on Friday from 6pm-8pm
Thanks!
Flourish Flaunt piece is soooo nice WTH <3 Thanks for all you do Spyplane : )
Awesome. His work reminds me a little of my GOAT John Garret Slaby (RIP). Dreamlike, naturalistic portals into the overlooked and unappreciated.
Man, wasn't familiar, he died so young, that's horrible. Thanks for sharing his work