The urge to draw

To draw is to reflect. Leonardo Da Vinci talked about "knowing how to see - saper vedere". To know to see is equivalent to the realization of Goethe's "To think is as interesting as to know, but less interesting than to see". A sketch is always more than just a record of a place, because of the editing that is part of the process.

In this sense, a sketch is a manifestation of pure thought. A compilation of sketches defines a way of seeing that indicates that knowing how to see is learned through intense experience. The disciplined, sometimes happy, manner in which the sketches appear reveals that they are an interesting juxtaposition between deliberation and intuition. Sudden exposure to a particular insight provokes a drawing which in turn generates other thoughts, in the tradition of religious monasteries. It amounts to accepting guests without judgment. It is the guests who bring a fresh way of thinking. In my opinion, the sketches fulfill this role of guests. They have caused me to redirect my reference system and, consequently, to change my way of seeing.

The value of the sketching process lies in engaging in as intimate a relationship as possible with what is being drawn. The discipline of drawing becomes even more evident by what is omitted than by what is included in the drawing. The conscious and unconscious editing that is part of the sketch is what turns the process into contemplation rather than representation. A visit to two museums in Prague proved this truth to me most clearly. The examination of Alfonse Mucha's work, including sketches from his sketchbook, and photographs of studio models was extremely instructive. Thanks to his efforts, he has managed to capture the essence of his models, but the techniques used are both illustrative and Art Nouveau. His work is not photographic but a carefully edited message for which the drawing style has evolved. Not far from this collection is the Franz Kafka Museum. In this collection is a series of sketches by Kafka, quite crude in comparison to the Mucha collection, which also impresses with the qualities of meaning suggested by the images. In this evolution towards carefully edited representations lies, in fact, the act of seeing as a deeper understanding.

The act of seeing cannot be explained by the mechanics of the eye alone. Even photographs reveal more than camera technology. The act of seeing is a combination of physical capacity, acuity and receptivity. It is stimulated by both the desire to see something and the desire to see nothing. We can be fooled by our reference system and ignore things we have no interest in seeing. To see is to take in everything with our eyes, but without the prejudices that others have formed. This is why I have come to see drawing as pure thought. It is a conscious act in the highest degree. It is the conception of a design. Several years ago, I visited Prague in rainy and foggy weather. The drawings I made on that trip have a certain silhouetted quality that reminds me of my passion for the abstract form that emerges at dawn and in the evening, at the time of sunset.

To draw is to reflect. Leonardo da Vinci spoke of "knowing how to see - saper vedere". Knowing how to see is the realization of Goethe's expression, "Thinking is more interesting than knowing but less interesting than seeing". A sketch is always more than a simple recording of a place because of the editing that is a part of the process. In this sense, a sketch is a manifestation of pure thought. A compilation of sketches defines a way of seeing that indicates that knowing how to see is acquired by intense experience. The disciplined and sometimes even serendipitous manner, by which sketches emerge, makes them an interesting juxtaposition of deliberation and intuition. A sudden exposure to an insight provokes a drawing that provokes other thoughts bringing to mind a tradition of the religious monastery. It is the acceptance of guests without judgment. Guests bring in the fresh air of new ideas. Sketches serve the purpose in my thoughts of guests. They have caused me to redirect my frame of reference and thereby affect my sight.

The value of the sketch process is the process of entering into a most intimate relationship with what is being drawn. The discipline of the drawing is made even more apparent by what is left out of a drawing as much as by what is in it. The conscious and unconscious editing that is a part of sketching is what makes the process more contemplation than representation. A visit to two museums in Prague made this point to me powerfully. Looking closely at the work of Alfonse Mucha, including his notebook sketches and the photography of carefully posed studio models for photographs is instructive. Through his efforts he was able to capture the essence of his models but his techniques is as much about illustration as about Art Nouveau representation. His work was not photographic; it was a carefully edited message for which the drawing style evolved. Not far from this collection is the Franz Kafka Museum. In this collection is found a series of sketches by Kafka, crude by comparison to the Mucha collection that is equally powerful because of the qualities of meaning conveyed in the images. This evolution toward the carefully edited representations is the act of seeing as deep understanding.

The act of seeing cannot be solely explained by the mechanics of the eye. Even photographs reveal more than the technology of the camera. The act of seeing is a combination of physical capability mental alertness and an open mind. We can be fooled by our frame of reference to look past what we have no interest in seeing. Seeing means taking it all in without the blinders of opinions formed by others. It is for this reason that I have come to believe that sketching is pure thought. It is an intensely conscious act. It is design thinking. Several years ago on a trip to Prague the weather brought rain and misty days to the city. My drawings from this visit have a quality of the silhouette that reminds me of my love of the abstract form that emerges at dawn and reemerges at dusk.