Your Hand in Mine

(detail from Your Hand in Mine, 60 x 64 inches in a private collection)

As a painter, I've always been drawn to what is known as “a sense of touch” in a painting.  Meaning, when an artist puts down a brushstroke with sincerity and intention, the viewer can feel it.  Lisa Yuskavage provides an excellent example of this in her reflection on Édouard Vuillard's "The Green Interior" - as part of the MET’s The Artist Project.

I was particularly struck by this idea when I saw the late works of Giorgio Morandi at the Guggenheim in Venice back in 1998. The tenderness, intimacy, and sense of touch in his paintings was piercing.  I later saw a show of his work at David Zwirner, and it only deepened my appreciation for the way that an artist's sincerity can be felt in their paintings. 

To me, the sense of touch in a painting is all about authenticity. It's not just about the physical act of laying down a brushstroke; anyone can do that. It's about whether or not you really mean it, and if your sincerity shines through in your work. It's like when an actor speaks; you can tell if they're just reciting lines or transcending themselves and becoming the character. It's not just the action, but the intention behind it. The same goes for a painting. If an artist truly means the brushstroke, you will feel it.