Influence

Influence \In"flu*ence\, n. A flowing in or upon; influx. (dictionary.net)

“What and who has influenced your art?” “Well” I said, “I don’t look much at art. I draw from inner sources and create from a naïve perspective.” But this is a lie. I began to visit museums as a child growing up in Boston. I’ve lived a cultured life with the privilege of participating in art classes all the way through – eventually getting a Masters in Visual Art in 2005 at the age of 50.

I think this denial of influence comes from my personal need to rediscover my core, my origins and my connection to a “sensuous reality” (1996, Abram) , as opposed to a purely “man-made” reality. This quest has brought me to my internalized indigenous roots. This “original self”, although buried in my American cultural inheritance is accessible through the language of art. If I am lucky, a pre-literate expression sometimes emerges from the creative process. I deliberately work towards this state of being hoping that the traces of connection can be transmitted to others.
Becoming culturally naked. Vin







"Fertile Shield" 1994