High Water Mark 1984

Neil Welliver made this very large painting, High Water Mark, in a place where the water flows over rocks, logs, and other debris. The colors are quite spare – muted greens, greys, and whites. And the way Welliver makes his marks! It looks like he built up this image from hundreds of small brushstrokes. It’s almost like he’s weaving the image together, piece by piece. This kind of methodical approach reminds us that art-making is a process, a journey where the destination is unknown. Look closely and you will see how each brushstroke is laid down, one after another. In the lower section of the canvas he’s built up a dense pattern to evoke the water’s surface. Welliver gets at the essence of things, not by perfecting them, but by letting the imperfections show. I am reminded of Fairfield Porter, another painter who found inspiration in the everyday, and the power of paint to capture these moments in time.