Speaking my mind, in paint

Jul 18

“If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.”

— Edward Hopper

I bet you've heard artists say something along these lines: that they paint in order to express something that isn’t captured by words.

But why not? Is it a limitation of our ability to articulate, verbally, our own thoughts?

As someone who loves the play and precision of words, painting what can’t be expressed verbally has been a bit mysterious to me. I’m pretty literal. What can’t be described in words? And if it was that intangible (maybe a sensation? an emotion? an atmospheric mood?) how would I paint it?

The process of painting has led me (slowly) towards some understanding.

I think visual language is fundamentally, dimensionally different. That becomes clear enough if you’ve tried to accurately portray a verbal idea in paint, or vice versa. Translation between images and words is possible but never quite satisfying.

Visual vocabulary in artwork

One way I’ve found to put abstract ideas into my paintings is to develop marks or symbols that work as a personal shorthand. I build my visual vocabulary as it becomes necessary.

I like dealing with subjects that involve journeys, migrations and the passage of time, so I’ve had to develop specific marks and shapes to suggest those ideas (see them here).

My vocabulary also includes, frequently, tally marks, rectangles, deltas, repeated circles, ladders, and parallel lines. You can see some of these in the image below.

My marks and symbols form an idiosyncratic vocabulary that is unique to me. My language expands and evolves as I become a better artist. Some emerge organically, the instinctive marks my hand makes again and again, driven by semi-conscious habit and sensibility. At times I have developed vocabulary through purposeful exploration.

I want to be visually articulate. I work on developing a clear, familiar vocabulary and syntax. Painting a visual sentence, as my friend @janedaviesart puts it.

Do you see visual art as a language? Tell me what you think in the comments, I’d love to know your thoughts.