Presence and Gesture

Presence is the condition of every placement. It does not arise from the gesture. It precedes it. A gesture without presence remains movement.

Only presence opens relationship.

The gesture enters into relation with the sheet, the color, the space, and the viewer. Its meaning emerges from this relationship. Presence therefore does not mean attention. It means being present.

It keeps the space open.

It does not press toward a result. It follows no preconceived idea. It remains with what appears. The work develops from this attitude. Every placement changes the relational structure of the sheet. With it, the space in which all other placements appear also changes.

Art occurs in the reciprocal conditioning of gesture and the presence that precedes it.