Nan Deressa
      Artist's Statement - 2/3/2002

Lately I have been going through (another) crisis. This time it has been precipitated by the possibility of having a television interview done, and exacerbated by having a newspaper interview actually done. These types of situations make me stop and think about what I should say about my work, my aims, my goals. Which, of course, leads to the crisis. What are my aims? Why do I do the kind of work that I do? Is it time to stop or to change direction? After all, I am "retired" and have every right to stop.

So I've been mulling everything over (again). And this is the result:

I am teaching myself how to see. And, should the opportunity arise, I will share with others what I see, and that in itself will help them learn how to see.

"See". I really don't mean just look at something quickly and recognize it, categorize it, and turn away. Or, even worse, look at something quickly, not recognize it, not be able to categorize it, and dismiss it. Instead I mean look at something, then look deeper, watch the interrelations, see it with color, see it without color, watch how you respond to it emotionally, pay attention to what makes you respond that way, and on and on.

To me the seeing is the most important part. When I'm working I spend more time in the seeing than in the actual application of paint. And the seeing doesn't stop after brushes are washed and put away. I hang the painting where I can see it. And I look. If I stop looking at it, I may move it into another position so that I can see it afresh.

Subject matter is important insofar as it has to be interesting enough to keep me working on the painting. Technical proficiency is important insofar as it has to be advanced enough to arrive at a match between the painting and the inner vision of the painting.