Featured The Mystery of the Scratch

A few months ago, I picked up an oil painting by Don Pollack. I was able to acquire the piece for less than $200 because it was at a local auction house without an online presence and because it was described as having a “significant scratch”.

Upon reviewing this scratch closely with a loupe, however, the painting’s varnish was clearly over this mark and the canvas seemed undisturbed. I thought that it was possible that the “line” or “scratch” was placed on the landscape intentionally by the artist. I became so convinced of this that I decided to email the artist a few days ago.

Don Pollack teaches art and design classes at Chicago’s prestigious Art Institute so I was a little surprised and elated to hear back. Acoording to Don, this line was added to pieces on his early works. “It is on the surface and its abstract intention is to be a presence or point to a sentence in the landscape/nature.” Having his personal insight and background on this piece seems to make it even more special to me.

 

Glad your mystery was solved though.
And you got a bargain because of an abstract intention which was a presence or point to a sentence in the landscape/nature.

 

I needed to quote that statement verbatim, as any attempt to paraphrase would be problematic! Lol

 

I totally understand.

 

Fascinating. It arrests one's eye before it reaches the vanishing point. And it says "Not there. Here. Rewind."

Debora