Perhaps it was because [at six years old] I could
not express myself in any other way, other than
with painting. I was probably still perfecting
the alphabet and penmanship to form coherent
sentences, ones that others could read and make
some sort of sense of. Maybe that's what Picasso
meant when he said “paint like a child” - An
impossible request today. I believe our modern
education systems tends to stifle 'born' Artists.
Artists tend to be educated & learn from
experts how to 'exist' (sic: market themselves) as
a professional Artist, especially over the last 20
years or so. An artist lives in his brain probably
more than his mind, in today's world.
The more I thought about it the more I came
round in the Matisse way of thinking. The 'one
idea' dogma he had promoted need not be a
concept at all. What if the 'idea' was 'how' to
paint. To create a work of art that was beyond
the normal view of things. Did the idea of 'how to
paint' form itself when I was born? A sort of pre-
determined genetic inheritance of our species, an
incredible ability we had to communicate, before
we formed language.
What was surprising is that I realized I still paint
as I have described more often than not. And I
have indeed spent my entire life trying to develop
it and allow it to be set free to breathe, just as
Matisse had said.
“The idea of Artists is not really
what they paint, but it's how
they paint.”
I think that is the nearest and simplest way I can
give to explaining the Henri Matisse statement.
At least it gives me a considered answer when I
am asked that tricky question...where do you get
your ideas?
Footnote: if you are wondering what was that
'hurtful feeling' was- when I had recalled it in
meditation. - And in reality when I was six years
old? - Ok, I'll tell you even though it still hurts a
little to write the end of the story.
That first serious piece of Art [that I painted in
1957] was selected to be entered in an exhibition
within Manchester & Salford City Art Museum,
along with a few dozen of the kids from around
the suburbs of Manchester.My junior Art teacher took me to the opening
day along with two classmates whose paintings
had also been selected for entry by our School
headmistress. We walked round the exhibition for
some time until my teacher said to me:“Well Denis, it looks like you are
the only one Not to have your
painting on display”.
I was crushed. I think I may even have cried inside,
if not on the outside. There was no real explanation
coming from the selection committee when my
teacher made inquiries, other than they pointed
to the 'rule' that the 'painting' had to be the work
of the Child Only and without Parental or Teacher
help.A rejection syndrome could have sat with me for
many years. I was lucky to be so young to enable
a quick recovery from the slur on my artistic
integrity. It made me even more committed to
creating paintings. 5 years later I was enrolled at
the Manchester High School of Art. I never give
up believing or enjoying the magic one person
can do with a blank space, a brush and
some paint. And I never will.... Because it's a great
idea!contact Denis Taylor
Personal website:
http://www.artofdenis.com
e-mail: [email protected]