"When will the painting stop?

Observations on the Non-Completion of Eimei Kaneyama's Paintings


There is already a border on the unfolded surface of the spread linen. For the painter, the stretcher is a practical choice rather than a choice for the painting itself. The visible strands of trimmed textiles on the frame exude a subtle confidence, encouraging the commencement of painting. The act of starting to paint not only signifies the beginning of the artistic process but also the act of seeing the painting. If one knows what to draw before starting to draw, it becomes difficult to begin. As such, a period must be dedicated by the painter before the actual process starts, allowing the creation to unfold without predetermined knowledge. The gradual drying of oil paints grants the artist the ability to witness the evolving artwork.


The painter had intentions when starting to paint. However, what the painter intended to paint is not the same as the initial intention. A mixture of intended and unintended elements obscures the prior form. Overlapping forms do not follow a linear time, existing side by side in a reversible manner, one not concealing the other. The painter is occasionally satisfied when diverse forms interact with each other. In this aspect, the artist inevitably relies on chance. When forms reveal their relationships to each other, the artist does not cling to these revelations. He understands that the desire to deliberately sustain those relationships is a desire doomed to fail.


Artificially produced colors are narrower compared to natural hues. Just as nature is not composed of colors decided by someone, the colors in the painting are not determined by the painter. Colors don't provoke the painter; they are simply accepted. The artist doesn't limit colors, but there are colors he feels close to. The artist is often praised for using green effectively. There is a proximity and polarity between green and yellow. This proximity defines the relationship between green and yellow. The artist feels he could use yellow effectively and confesses a sense of responsibility toward it. This confession transcends the symbolism and interpretation attached to colors.


The memory that initiated the painting is not a singular experience. Emotions attached to experiences do not wander the same memory. Real-time transformations blur temporal distinctions. The images the artist saw dissolve within the artist. They project the images dissolved in the fabric. The forms the artist saw lose their shape and acquire form within the painting. The painter doesn't converse with the painting. The fabric only serves as the painter's ear; it's not a mouth that speaks to the painter. Regarding the expressions revealed in the fabric, the painter remains silent. The painting cannot be explained.


A “less-painted” painting also lacks explanation. The painter cannot convey a less-painted painting. Only the painting itself can express its degree of completion. Blank spaces within the artwork don't expedite the painting process. The painting always demands a similar kind of slow time. A less painted painting cannot be the goal. A less painted painting is not a preparatory stage for completion. A less painted painting has ended in itself. When the unfinished and low-completion coexist with the finished and high-completion in a painting, the artist finds solace in the joy filled with possibilities. Reflection and hope are intertwined for the artist.


The artist's painting is confined within the borders. The painting does not consider what lies outside the border. On the other hand, the space of the painting is not within the borders. The space of the painting is the place taken away by the viewer when they move away from the painting. The space taken by the viewer originated from the painting but is absent in the painting. Can considerations about how the painting appears become considerations about the future of painting? When what appears as unfinished mingles with what appears as finished intensely, could non-completion herald the future concept of completeness?"


Suzy Park, Independent Curator