"Life is not lessoned in artists and prophets, but is enhanced. They are our guides into the Lost Paradise, which only becomes Paradise through being found again. It is not the old, mindless unity that the artist strives for, but a felt reunion; not empty unity, but full unity; not the oneness of indifference, but the oneness attained through differentiation. All life is a loss of balance and a struggling back into balance. We find this return home in religion and art." - Joel, Karl (Seele und Welt) 1912

As we look back on more than one hundred years of "Modern Art, we become aware of the changes in the historical perspective that it flowed on. A revolution of changes to the culture that have heightened it, lowered it, twisted it and manipulated it. Through all our technical advances how much of ourselves have we forgotten?

Through my activity of "Painting", I attempt to step aside from the rigors of our complex style of existence and find again a more simple solution to the time spent in life. I do not try to "escape" our time and reality but I do attempt to "mark" its struggle to maintain, if only imaginary, humanness.

I find in the quote above, which as we now know, fashioned in the mid-point of that era, the same sense of requirement to reflect, question and balance ourselves through sensuous activities. Painting is such an activity, especially when our intentions are tempered by questions and not answers. Each image arrives with its own set of questions and the journey home can last a lifetime.

If you enjoy the images here, please visit a page of "Questions" in the form of images at http://www.terrancedepietro.tdparts.com (it may further interest your imagination).

T.D.P.
Palenville, 2Dec05

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