One of my absolute favorite spaces at MOMA is when you come around a corner and see Barnett Newman’s “Vir Heroicus Sublimiss” (Man, Heroic and Sublime). It does feel sublime and lifts you out of whatever daily reverie you’re in to a higher plane. My newest painting ” Sublime” addresses this mental levitation.
In an essay I read about the painting, the artist indicated that he really wants you to view the painting up close, even though the drama from afar is quite impressive.
I liked the two women in the background, nearest to the painting. The one on the right has stopped to look at the huge canvas and motions to her friend to stop also.
The man on the far left, away from other people, is enthralled…
And the man on the bench is in the direct path of the painting’s reflection. The deep red of the painting runs across the wooden floor.
I love the highly polished floors at the Museum of Modern Art. They reflect the art and connect it to the viewers. I probably spend as much time getting these reflections the way I want them as I do painting the figures.
I am pleased with this grouping. It is warm and rich and involved. Just like a day at MOMA. Sublime.
