Thought behind the thought:
Some of the closest friends I have are surprisingly not my childhood ones. These are more recent friendships but they seem way deeper than some of my associations that have been there since childhood. Friendship is more about giving than receiving. It is about being non-judgemental and accepting. The most important aspect is listening. We are more eager to talk than listen. The listening friend is the one for keeps because it is with such a friend that we open our hearts and never hide ourselves.
This was a tough one. How does art communicate a sublime action like listening? After scouring over multitudes of artwork, painting and allied material I stumbled upon these wonderful paintings by Sandra Bierman. These were all about listening. Although the subjects are people and cats her paintings communicate the warmth exchanged during these heart to heart talks. It talks about dropping facades and bonding on a very deep rooted level. A cat is almost used as a metaphor for listening. Their demeanour and quietude make them great listeners.
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Cats under the Table
Conversation
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Golden Time
Cat In Window
Interestingly none of her paintings have reference images. They are a part of an intuitive process like an abstract painter. Somewhere the artist is trying to bring her inner need for tranquillity, strength and well being into her paintings. 16th Century Italian masters, Mexican masters, Chinese and Japanese classical art are things that have influenced her art. Her depiction of the figures is unique and often portrays grounded women with bare earthy feet and large caring hands .The tabby cats have a presence in the paintings that bring a calm stillness to the whole imagery. It’s almost as if a conversation is happening on the canvas that you can sense but not partake in.
Credits:
Kudos on the subject and the research!
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