Meaningful Images

Instagram on a phone. Images are viewed within a fraction of a second. Not looked at, as much as registered. 

If you posted a picture of particularly beautiful clouds:

No one would 'see' or really look at them. It's just registered as Clouds. Flick. Next.

An artist sees something in the clouds. There's a feeling there. But a picture isn't enough. Clouds. Flick. Next. 

The artist has to do something more. Jasper John's famous sketchbook note: ''Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it."

By painting an image, the artist slows down the gaze. We see the image being made. The artist brings us a step closer.  Here's a beautiful painting of clouds by Rae Johnson. You don't just see clouds. In the brushwork you see Rae seeing the clouds.