Gail Spaien
2007 Biennial Talk
Run Time: 6:58
The act of painting remains vital because it is a physically direct way of translating sensation, values, and context into visual form. My own work is humanistic and as such it is concerned with human feelings. These paintings celebrate life’s poignancy and sensations of quiet pleasure. Sincerity, homeliness, beauty, and comfort are the values embedded in the work.
Making beautiful, sincere objects is my way of contributing to our culture without adding to the noise. The social role of painting here is to act as an antidote, an escape, and a reminder of the continuous flux of everything.
Using nature as my subject I paint the world as I would like it to be.