A Picture Awakens Through Touch.
It is often said, “A picture is worth 1000 words.” In many ways an artist paints because he wants to leave words behind. The color, subject and composition is not something in need of verbal description. It hits you in the heart or not. The Image sears itself into your memory or not. It “touches you.” I painted this “Babaji in Barcelona” last summer, and my friend Joe Petri was touched by it and bought it on the spot when he saw it. He was touched.
Recently I have been reading the work of Immortalist, Robert Coon, who gives touch the utmost spiritual importance: “Oh, Let my touch be the Highest Manifestation for the Will Divine.” So a painting is made by the qualities of my touch. I am touching the physical matter of the paints and the canvas and the brushes in just the right alignment and relationships to ultimately “touch” the person looking at the painting. This is an “Art Look” that transcends the “picture worth a thousand words.” The words cannot come close to the Touch of a great work. That happens instantaneously without words.
This portrait by Leonardo is touching in the way the man holds so delicately the piece of paper. It is a moment when time stops and our minds are still. It needs no explanation. We are touched. Touch is superior to words, because it cannot be misinterpreted. You are either touched or you are not. You are struck by the impact of this touch or you are not. You may only look at these two images above for less than 10 seconds, but the touch will go on long after you look away at other things. That is, if the artist was successful with his touch. If his touch has risen to the “highest manifestation for the Will Divine.”
MARKUS RAY
