Marching Orders

I do not call the art politburo every morning to get marching orders for my painting.  I’ll try not to fall victim to the narratives of Clement Greenberg on flatness or John Hughes on painterly painting or Arthur Danto on irony, social issues, minimalism, gesture etc.  I try not to paint dumb or to fall into easy traps of seduction of line, color, tone, composition yet I don’t want to deny myself the pleasure of exploring what may be part of an archaic canon but not yet part of my own history of experience.  I want to know the six hundred year history and make use of at least some of the great inventions of western painting  in the service of my exploration.  Perhaps by now I have internalized the politburo’s marching orders - no need to call.