HEART TIED TO THE EAST

Paul Jenkins was a renowned American abstract expressionist painter who was deeply influenced by Easter n philosophy. Since he held his first solo exhibition in Paris in 1954, 85 art galleries and museums across more than ten countries have exhibited and collected his works. His paintings had taken the abstract art stages of New York and Paris by storm. The American abstract expressionist artist, Paul Jenkins was born in Missouri, USA in 1923 and he lived in Paris for many years. Although when he was a youth, the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, tried to convince him to start a career in agriculture rather than art, he still followed his gift and wandered among the ancient Eastern sculptures in art museums and went to studios to marvel at the mesmerizing changes brought to the glaze by the heat in the kiln. Even during WWII, he did not lose his fascination for the Eastern cultures. Jenkins came into contact with the Chinese philosophical text, I Ching and he called Tao Te Ching a simplified masterpiece of the Upanishads.

The unhindered and free-flowing rhythm expressed by Jenkins reminds one of the Chinese shan shui paintings, but he emphasized that the independence and modes of expression shown in his creative process are not from letting the ink flow by itself and expand without restraint on the canvas. Since the 1960s, he r eplaced paint brushes with an ivory knife to naturally guide the flow of the paint on the canvas. The artist had once given this description: When I work on primed canvas, I can control the flow of paint and guide it to discover for ms. The ivory knife is an essential tool in this because it does not gouge the canvas, it allows me to guide the paint.

Phenomena Arch Bow East is an exceptional piece full of his personal trademark. The violet arced curve running across the painting, the meaningful blank spaces, and the creamy white shade complementing the more vibrant tones almost seem like the merging and expansion of paint droplets meeting in water. The title of the artwork indicates to the viewer the creator's yearning and intensive study of the Zen philosophy. His expressive techniques also show the influence of Goethe's color psychology on the artist's use of colors.

In the world of Western abstract art, Jenkins was one of the few artists who had truly understood the meaning of meditation. The changes in colors are like the ever-fleeting thoughts in the mind. Suddenly, the vivid and vibrant shards of colors become calm and placid peace. Admiring the works of the artist is like experiencing the ceremonies of the Shaho- Hassetsu or the eight stages of archery, starting with Ashibumi or placing the footing and ending with Zanshin, the remaining body or mind. Let your tumultuous emotions become still and rest, then place your focus on the art.