My friend Andrew Kurland just asked me what I thought of the painting above, which is by artist J. Siegan, a friend of Andrew's father. My own personal aesthetic aside, I noted the interesting juxtaposition between the Asian inspired feeling of the work, with its quick and minimal black brushstrokes, and the very western subject matter. 
"It's a dude on a skateboard, what could be more western than that?" I said.
"That's interesting," he said, "because I see a guy in a full lotus position, meditating, crying."
I see what Andrew's saying, but I'm not convinced given that Siegan is influenced by both the Zen school and the city of Chicago. However, Siegan also cites Robert Motherwell as an influence, and while I certainly don't see that in the painting above, I do see it in the painting to the left, which I, unlike Andrew, much prefer...
And there you have it - that's what makes horse races...
Or perhaps more appropriately, given the theme of this blog - nothing better than space for interpretation and individual opinion...
____
_____
1. Jerry Siegan, #60.
2. Jerry Siegan, Yearning for the Past.
