Givens Parr

Narrative Objects

2017

"Language gives me trouble, transforming subjects into objects and back again. Sometimes in speech I feel I’m putting something into a word box unrelated to the thing itself. I’m painting now to escape the narrowness of a conversation in sentences. The objects I have painted are not symbols. They are narrative potential, an invitation for you to acknowledge your own vision, the story you see.

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As much as anything, this work is about neither of us understanding the other’s intentions. It is also about the possibility of beauty that transcends intentions—that quality of light that inspires otherwise separate people."