They are predominantly monochrome, which Nishikawa describes as “conducive to maintaining a rhythmic flow.” Neate compares the diaphanous gossamers of fine lines surrounding mysterious faces to residual energy from people before us, “like souls sewn in the mesh of time.” Other examples have monolithic shapes or primordial creatures, occasionally embedded with geometric symbols and text. Their drawings depict a connection, harness and release of an energy in the form of an image that is succinctly described by Neate as “part of an eternal memory of which the act of drawing unlocks so that it can appear in the world.”Ĭommon characteristics are evident among the artworks in this exhibition. Through the humble pen or pencil, they are able to render the invisible as a mesmerising reality and capture on paper these ethereal images and fleeting thoughts in an art form that is more than mere creative skill and imagination. It is as if they have connected to a higher force or dipped into a deep universal well of consciousness that is beyond the reach of most people. Subconscious thoughts, memories, souls and spirits draw closer and flow through the conscious mind of the artists with a mysterious force that often feels to them like they are being guided in some way by an unknown entity. It is as if a veil is briefly lifted or a portal has opened to another level of time and space, a parallel dimension within us or around us. He also continues his search for the perfect chair in which to work, whilst Ahmadi found his treasured seat abandoned in a parking lot.ĭrawing is an essential part of the lives of these four artists who begin by establishing a meditative or trancelike concentration that o2o describes as being “out of myself.” Here, real time fades out of focus as they become absorbed in their creativity, and without a preconceived idea of the outcome, their pens glide effortlessly and automatically across the paper. Neate’s pen, for example, will not flow if he is distracted, causing the lines to become heavier. The mood is an important aspect for these artists. Ahmadi uses a candle to alter the light around him, whilst Neate occasionally looks at the flickering and muted television screen showing old British movies that remind him of the past. For the majority, music is often instrumental to the creative process, as is a quiet space without distraction.
Over time these kindred spirits have all found ways of working that are favourable to their act of mark making. For others, like Nishikawa, this skill came later through the act of doodling. He discovered his clairvoyant and clairaudient abilities, along with the skill to create, at a young age. Some of this development has taken years, like o2o, whose name symbolises eternal learning or wisdom.
Each has a deep understanding of the other’s ups and downs encountered in the development of this unusual artistic process. The irrepressible urge to draw, accompanied by experiences of a spiritual or psychic nature, forms a harmonious bond between the artists. Accordingly, Durand adjusted his fastidious approach to natural forms, such as the rocky ledge and overhanging tree limbs, to suggest Keats's poetic references to "nature's observatory" and "boughs pavillion'd." Aside from its historical significance, the painting embodies the marriage of naturalism and idealization central to Hudson River School aesthetics.Kindred Spirits presents drawings by four artists whose works possess a numinous energy and compelling beauty. Invoking a phrase from John Keats's seventh sonnet, "O Solitude," Sturges asked Durand to portray Cole and Bryant together as "kindred spirits" in the landscape. Sturges gave the painting to Bryant in honor of the eulogy the poet delivered at the memorial service for Cole, who died in February 1848. Durand was Cole's earliest disciple and a close friend of Bryant, and executed this picture at the request of Jonathan Sturges, a patron of both artists. The men stand on a ledge in one of the cloves, or gorges, of the Catskill Mountains, the source of the landscapes that made Cole famous and continued to inspire his followers. Its subjects are Thomas Cole (with portfolio), the founding father of the school, and William Cullen Bryant, the well-known nature poet and editor. Kindred Spirits is the quintessential Hudson River School landscape.
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