A few weeks ago, my wife Linda and i were having breakfast and she noticed the painting “Songbird” from 1982 by Bridget Riley. She immediately, knowing my taste in art, made the remark that this was one i would certainly admire, but now the question she posed me……she asked “WHY is this a beautiful painting” and i must confess i did not have an answer to it. I thought about this question a couple of days and asked myself …..why is an object beautiful? You can follow others in their opinions and make this opinion your own opinion. Another way is recognizing quality by technique, originality or by its contents and their messages, but an abstract painting like the one by Riley does not have a message nor is its technique something special.
So it must be their feel they are transferring . This way being unique in composition, size and its use of colors amplifies this feeling. It is the package that appeals and the less frills a package has the more appealing it is to me and perhaps that is what i like so much about Minimal art. Abstract art is about feeling and experience and that makes is so hard to describe.
BTW. The painting was sold at the special George Michael collection at Christies on the 15th of March. Originally it was hanging above a fire place, which certainly means that it will not be in pristine condition.
This Riley Leporello is available at www.ftn-books.com
