[This post appeared in my previous blog over at modblog before it went haywire. Seemed like a good place to finish/start. --Ed.]
Let’s talk about saying no.
Exhibit A, the Henri Matisse painting “Chapel of Saint-Joseph, Saint Tropez” from 1904 owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
In this painting, Matisse has left the upper-right hand corner of the canvas unfinished.
See also the MMA’s Cezanne “Mont Sainte-Victoire” from 1902-06, and you can see at the borders he’s left some bare canvas too.
These *conscious* aesthetic decisions made by the two masters are some of my favorites in the entire art historical canon. They overcame the powerful urge to paint every thread.
One of my favorite art professors used to have us cover parts of artworks (from a distance, with a fingertip) and decide if the “missing” elements were essential to the overall composition. In these cases, if you cover over the unfinished parts you’re left with a less visually interesting painting.
Saying “enough” is an art form in itself, and very difficult to master in a society as blazingly consumptive and materialistic as ours. I’m not sure who said “moderation in everything, including moderation,” whether Mark Twain or a Buddhist master – but speaking as a Libra, it sounds like a good guideline to me.
Next time we have the opportunity to say no to ourselves, let’s keep in mind Cezanne and Matisse. Something beautiful and unexpected may come out of it.
