Francis Bacon spoke to David Sylvester about certain paintings (presumably really good ones...!) having the ability to leap onto (into?) the viewers nervous system... thus evoking a deeply felt response. This leap across the 'boundary' you mention between art work and viewer is mysterious, and perhaps wonderfully so? Enjoy your investigation into this, Rowan....keep us updated. PS; I remember an involuntary shiver happening more than once in front of Freud's pre-hog hair brush portraits of Kitty from the late 1940's. A further treasured memory of the 2012 NPG Freud 'Portraits' show was catching a brilliant moment of seeing David Attenborough leaning forward locked in an intense stare with a L F self portrait. Wonderful, unforgettable stuff....👍
Francis Bacon spoke to David Sylvester about certain paintings (presumably really good ones...!) having the ability to leap onto (into?) the viewers nervous system... thus evoking a deeply felt response. This leap across the 'boundary' you mention between art work and viewer is mysterious, and perhaps wonderfully so? Enjoy your investigation into this, Rowan....keep us updated. PS; I remember an involuntary shiver happening more than once in front of Freud's pre-hog hair brush portraits of Kitty from the late 1940's. A further treasured memory of the 2012 NPG Freud 'Portraits' show was catching a brilliant moment of seeing David Attenborough leaning forward locked in an intense stare with a L F self portrait. Wonderful, unforgettable stuff....👍