
Three words are critical for understanding the initial mark-making process used in Wobbling the Paradigm; marking, allowing and the field. Marking is defined in physical terms as a residue left behind by movement and/or pressure. The metaphor for marking follows on the poetic, emotional, or somatic levels to beyond habitual conditioning. Each marking approach explores these levels from marks not visible to the eye to layered impression as the complex nuance of the images develop with other materials and in the third-dimensional. The process is facilitated by allowing a collaboration with the field. The field is not the things-in-empty-space model that is the basis of science which looks for the answers to the universe as matter. The relational-field is an intersubjective crucible of relationships participating in the creative process. This is the materials, place, accidents, synchronicities, others influences and anything that has an influence like the movie from last night or a dream.
Wobbling the Paradigm: Marking from the Emerging Field Book:
The curriculum in the book, Marking from the Emerging Field pushes habitual ways we perceive, allowing a greater connection to each other, the environment and ourselves. In the Tactile Portrait marking instruction, a drawing board is layered with tissue paper taped down and stabilized to one side out of eye contact. With eyes closed for concentration, one hand feels the face slowly while in synchornation the other hand translates what is felt onto the paper. It is important not to imagine your face visually but feel the information that the face conveys tactically as you mark with the opposite hand. You can change hands or imagine different kinds of information being related from one hand to the other. Like all the approaches, as you do it over time there is more room for creativity. When later tear and collage the pieces overlapping on the substrate it is quite intriguing. There are various approaches with the same instruction of not looking, tearing off the paper to go to the next when it feels complete.
Check out this video I developed talking about how painting can explore paradigms that limit and constrict creativity. It is influenced by practice rooted in Japanese cultural disciplines and supported by the movement of cultural evolution. We see stages of 11 painters painting and their comments as we explore the process.