Michael Elliston

Sumi ink and watercolor on glass

30" x 40"

Michael Taiun Elliston {[email protected]}
Some may wish to classify my work as belonging to one school of
painting or another, such as Abstract Expressionism. But it is actually
neither abstract nor personally expressive. The images are the concrete result of experience in working with the medium in a way that
minimizes human interference, in order to optimize the Natural Image.
I am gratified to be able to continue my life-long exploration of the nature of painting, and to have it accepted by the public. One is not an
artist merely because one declares oneself to be, anymore than one can credibly be a self-declared Zen master. It is only when others recognize one's artistry, or mastery, that the appellation becomes appropriate, and even then the honor can be questionable. History is often a harsh judge, defining who the great artists are or were, and history can be a deceiver in that regard. Because one's art is popular, or commands extreme prices, does not necessarily mean it is greater than art that does not.
It may simply indicate that the artist in question has been better promoted, or that their art has become a commodity to be traded in an inflated market, based on motives other than simple appreciation of art.
The idea of mastery can similarly be misconstrued, as can the idea of style in painting, or the ultimate meaning of art. To master something is often regarded as the imposition of will, to forcefully
bring order out of chaos. But we do not master Zen; it masters us. Similarly, we do not master the
medium of choice in art; we must come into harmony with its nature. From the ancient Chinese Zen poem Harmony of Sameness and Difference:
The four elements return to their natures just as a child turns to it mother: fire heats; wind moves; water wets; earth is solid.
These Four Elements are at play in my works, as they are in all existing phenomena, whether of artificial or natural provenance. As this is so, it is the challenge of the artist to come into harmony with the elements of nature, as well as chemistry, gravity, et cetera; to explore the limits of the possible, within the confines of the canvas and the medium. In doing so, I take great delight in witnessing the expression of these forces, dancing in the microcosm of the image surface.
Thus it is not false humility for me to say that I do not consider myself to be the sole creator of these works. Any creative endeavor does not create anything new, but merely rearranges that which
already exists. Art is largely the product of natural processes beyond our control, but it does not
become art without our controlling our own participation in the process. Once the causes and conditions influencing the image have been established, they more or less paint themselves. But they
need constant attention as they evolve, like cooking a souffle. Overworking, or inattention, can lead to an unsatisfactory outcome.
I consider my work to be "Music for the Eyes." Like jazz musicians, my goal is to get myself out of the way, so that the image may magically seem to appear of itself. The overall process amounts to a kind of alchemy-turning the dross of pigment into the gold of the image. The finest paint pigment is
nothing more than refined mud, after all.
ZEN INSPIRATION
Zen ideals of Samadhi-harmony and balance in action-manifest when one can fully surrender to the medium, paying undivided attention as to what IT is trying to do. When I manage to not interfere
too much or too little, a genuine masterpiece occurs, much like any stain, spill, splotch, mold or spot, which I personally find beautiful. I hope the display of this work as art may turn the attention of the viewer to the beauty that is all around, in every corner of this world we inhabit.