« When we look at an artist’s finished work, we often wonder what was the source that was able to generate this energy and animate this creation.
And we think to decipher an intended message, and locate the seed of original inspiration that compelled the artist to make that work.
Using “mindsight”, a viewer looks to know what the artist was thinking, and what they meant to evoke–presuming they had a foundational idea first and the ability to execute it second. But when observing and photographing Elliott Green in his studio I saw something very different: I saw the steadily flowing movement of streaming intuition.
Tens of thousands of micro-decisions, revisioning additions, wipe-aways and overlays. His contact with the canvas is responsive–like a good and thoughtful conversation, where listening is well balanced with telling.
His gestures are a series of responses to what his paintings seem to ask for, as they actively change shape, until they happen to be finished.
In October 2017, my camera and I spent three days with Elliott Green in his studio, and what I understood much better by the end of that time is that he has a deep empathy for his paintings, and he nurtures their individual destinies with transfer-of-touch, steady attention and perpetual invention.
It was a privilege to have captured these ephemeral moments rich in creative activity. »
— Céline Basset
