Veeda 1979

Here we see Dan Christensen's "Veeda," a dance of color and form rendered with a lithographic hand. Notice the streaks of pigment, floating like celestial bodies across a lemon-yellow firmament. These spontaneous gestures echo the 'sprezzatura' of Renaissance masters, a studied nonchalance that belies a deeper intent. Consider the motif of the horizontal line; it recurs throughout art history—from the horizon lines of Dutch landscapes, symbolizing stability and perspective, to the chaotic strokes of Abstract Expressionism, representing unrestrained emotion. Here, the lines are attenuated, almost weightless, yet they carry a profound tension. This use of line reminds us of cave paintings, where early humans attempted to capture movement and life with simple strokes. It's as if the collective unconscious remembers these primordial expressions, re-emerging in Christensen's modern abstraction. The painting’s seemingly simple composition deeply engages our senses, stirring primal feelings of connection and recognition. The language of symbols is never linear, but cyclical, always resurfacing, evolving, and bearing new truths.