1. Painting is Impossible
In A Giacometti Portrait (1965), James Lord describes sitting for a portrait by Giacometti during his visit to Paris in 1964. Initially planned as a single-sitting sketch, the portrait evolves into a prolonged process as Giacometti repeatedly expresses dissatisfaction with his work, erasing and reworking the image over several weeks. Lord, stuck in Paris as a result, becomes a reluctant participant in Giacometti's cycle of creation and destruction. Giacometti's persistent self-doubt is evident as he laments his inability to achieve his artistic goals, describing his efforts as "impossible" and considering abandoning painting altogether.1 His ongoing struggle reflects a deep-seated belief that achieving his artistic vision is unattainable.
2. I’ve Been Wanting to Paint this Painting
In postwar Paris, the concept of "negative work," as articulated by Sartre in Being and Nothingness, was pivotal in understanding artistic freedom and essence. Sartre argued that an artist's freedom lies in acknowledging both their desire to create, ("I have been wanting to paint this painting") and the nothingness that allows them to abandon their project at any moment. This "permanent possibility of abandonment" is key to true creative freedom, raising questions about the nature of art produced under such conditions.2
For Giacometti, who grappled with negation and doubt, art was seen as ‘impossible.’ However, with the decline of Abstract Expressionism around 1960, existential doubt in art was replaced by new modes emphasizing production, surface, and social identity, as exemplified by the shift from Giacometti's introspective studio to Warhol's Factory. This transition marked the obsolescence of mid-20th-century artistic anguish, highlighting a broader movement from individual doubt to collective production.
3. Driven into a corner
Philip Guston, although initially embracing abstraction, later distanced himself from it. In his 1965 statement, "Faith, Hope, and Impossibility," he argued that painting must justify its existence through critical self-judgment or it becomes impossible.3 By 1967, he felt that abstract painting no longer had a purpose. In a 1966 forum at Boston University, Guston emphasized that Abstract Expressionism wasn't just a style but a challenge about whether creation was possible in society. He distinguished between genuine creation and mere art production, which was becoming widespread. Despite this proliferation, Guston reflected that the original experience of Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s involved questioning the possibility of creation amidst abundant art, proving that creation was still achievable.4
Ideas to take into my work…
I obscure the paintings using collage elements like torn paper, fabric scraps, and layered textures to partially hide them. This approach creates a barrier that suggests both the artwork and myself are reluctant to fully reveal ourselves, while still retaining a sense of hidden beauty, emphasizing the tension between visibility and concealment. As Virginia Woolf so eloquently put it,
"You cannot cross the narrow bridge of art carrying all its tools in your hands. Some you must leave behind."5
4. Finished/Unfinished
Once, New York painters wrestled with defining what constituted a ‘finished’ painting. At the Studio 35 conference, William Baziotes debated whether American and French painters approached completion differently, noting that some works, like Matisse's, appeared "unfinished" yet profoundly complete. Over time, many Abstract Expressionist works now seem finished, although some, like Joan Mitchell’s and mid-1960s Guston’s, retain an unfinished quality. This notion of unfinishedness is not new; Chinese art has long valued the incomplete, as noted by François Cheng's quotation from Tang dynasty historian Chang Yen-Yuan. He argued that excessive completion can strip a work of its mystery and aura. This ancient perspective resonates with modernist attitudes and echoes the 20th-century fascination with the incomplete, a concept that has evolved yet remains contentious in Western aesthetics.6
5. Provisional Paintings/Last Paintings
Distinguishing between provisional and last paintings is key. Last paintings reflect a narrative about the end of painting and a progressive logic, compelling artists to surpass recent works. Provisional painting, emerging after this concept, retains the difficulty of last paintings but acknowledges that such conditions are outdated. In the 1980s, last paintings were expected to be followed by simulacra, works devoid of transcendence and expressiveness. However, it might be incorrect to claim painting as ‘impossible,’ as the notion of impossibility itself may no longer hold.7
Ideas to take from this…
I could explore these ideas using techniques that embrace unpredictability and ephemeral effects. By applying corrosive substances to fabrics, or gluing and ripping off again, I can create a distressed, weathered appearance. Adding delicate designs or sewn patches to blend a sense of neglect with careful craftsmanship. This approach allows me to create a melancholic, vulnerable presence that reflects a balance between presence and absence.
6. It just Happened…
Provisional paintings can exhibit either signs of struggle or a seemingly effortless appearance. Some, like Michael Krebber's, show minimal work and appear "too easy," while others, such as Raoul De Keyser's, reveal the artist's process without the intense anguish seen in Giacometti's work. Regardless of their appearance, provisional paintings oppose monumental, high-production art, seeking a state of near nonexistence and lightness. Robert Ryman's idea of "last paintings" aligns more with Matisse's view of ease in art, where the work appears effortless despite the effort involved. Similarly, Martin Barré echoes Jean Cocteau’s notion that art should seem so natural that it feels as if anyone could have created it.8
7. Auto-Iconoclasm
Provisionality in painting reflects the artist's dissent from dominant styles. While past avant-garde strategies aimed to break new ground, they have become clichés, merely showing that the artist is well-versed in these strategies. The true power of iconoclasm now lies in an artist dismantling their own work's potential icon status before it can fully form. Provisional works arise from the artist's hesitation between painting and not-painting, capturing a moment of intentional self-subversion.9
Ideas to take from this…
Possibilities for me in conjunction with the idea of provisional painting could include embracing the unpredictability of paint, experimenting with ephemeral colours and subtle markings, and exploring a subliminalist approach that balances presence and absence.
8. What If?
Provisional painting might critique human ambition as a modern form of vanitas, reflecting on the fleeting nature of existence. It could also be a response to the dematerialization of art in the digital age, asserting that painting, too, is a transient image. Alternatively, provisionality might simply be a stylistic choice rather than a deep artistic or philosophical stance. As Frank O’Hara noted about Bonnard’s work, it can appear deliberately effortless and fragile—suggesting that some provisional painting may just be an aesthetic trend or a casual approach.10
9. Failing Better
Rubenstein expands on responding to provisional art as a critic, noting it involves embracing the inherent uncertainty of both the artwork and the critique itself. Provisional criticism might involve acknowledging the fluid, evolving nature of judgments and interpretations, recognizing that they too are subject to change. While criticism often aims to provide lasting and confident evaluations, provisional criticism accepts that all assessments are inherently temporary. This approach aligns with recent trends where artists are re-embracing doubt and uncertainty, perhaps rediscovering 20th century artists and writers, drawing inspiration from figures like Cézanne and Samuel Beckett, who valued art's engagement with the immaterial and the ephemeral.11
Provisional painting now…
Whilst there may be engagement with conceptual art, its defining characteristic is its modern nonchalance and simplicity.
Summary
In his articles “Provisional Painting” (2009) and “Provisional Painting 2: To Rest Lightly on Earth” (2012), Raphael Rubenstein examines ‘provisional’ painting, which features works that are tentative, unfinished, or self-cancelling. Rubenstein contrasts this with ‘last art,’ suggesting that while provisional painting acknowledges painting’s possible obsolescence, it still values its potential. It embraces impermanence and presents preliminary works as finished.
Footnotes
1. Raphael Rubenstein, "Provisional Painting Part 2: To Rest Lightly on Earth," Art in America, February 3, 2012, accessed August 10, 2024, https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/provisional-painting-part-2-62924/.
2. Rubenstein, “Provisional Painting,” Art in America, February 3, 2012
3. Ibid
4. Philip Guston, “Faith, Hope, and Impossibility,” ARTnews Annual, October 1966, reprinted in Clifford Ross, Abstract Expressionism: Creators and Critics, An Anthology, New York, Abrams, 1990, pp. 62-63.
5. Virginia Woolf, David Bradshaw (2009). “Selected Essays”, p.83, Oxford University Press
6. Rubenstein, “Provisional Painting”
7. Ibid
8. Ibid
9. Ibid
10. Ibid
11. Ibid