Mira Hecht

Washington, D.C.

How would you describe your work?

Through the use of abstract visual language, repetition and layering, I find meaning in form and process. At the heart of my work is an embrace and expression of our universal truths: life is fragile, impermanent and interconnected. Life is a mystery where much of what I yearn to understand is beyond my grasp. My work is also an expression of gratitude for each present moment and the art making process itself. The circular form symbolizes wholeness, unity, life cycles and a portal through which all life arrises and dissipates.. My work offers the viewer a space for reflection on the interdependent nature of our existence and serves as a reminder to take care of all we cherish. The philosopher Merleau-Ponty said that consciousness reaches out in space like a hand. I want the viewer to have the sense that the many layered surfaces of my paintings are expanding and reaching out toward them.

What inspires you?

Poetry, philosophy, physics and psychology all inspire and influence my work. I’m an avid reader and spend many hours reading in the morning before I start working in the studio. I’m now reading the book, Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment by Charles Taylor. Although this book’s focus is poetry, I find that much of it applies to visual art and the meaning behind my work.

Can you speak about your process?

I typically work within a limited palette meant to evoke a contemplative mood. I start without a sketch or decisive plan and after my first mark on the canvas each consecutive move becomes a response to what I see before me. I apply oil paint with a light touch, choosing to wipe out any sign of a brush mark. I like the surface of the work to be smooth and undisturbed. My technique of overlapping transparent layers of oil paint - wet on dry - creates the sense of a shifting kaleidoscopic pattern and a tension between surface and depth. This process is time consuming because of the drying time in-between layers of oil. Most of my paintings take months to complete. If we say that the act of painting is a sustained dance between the artist and their work - my paintings and I are engaging in a ‘slow’ dance.

How did you become interested in art?

The desire to create is in my blood. Both my father and his father were artists. Going to museums was a thing my family would do as often as possible.

I grew up watching my father paint every weekend - his only free time from his day job. From a young age I wanted to make things. I would play with anything I could get my hand on. Drawing, beading, painting, sculpting sewing and cooking were some of the creative outlets. And this love of making has continued throughout my life.

Do you have favorite artists, movies, books or quotes?

The artists who I owe the greatest debt are Brice Marden, Agnes Martin and Terry Winters. One of my favorite poets is Robert Lax. Especially his poem titled Morning. And his abstract poems that read something like, “blue, green, green blue, blue blue, green green” - well you get the picture! - point to my desire to be fully present each moment and the joy of sight/seeing. A quote that resonates with my work is by Augustine, “Spirit is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.

What advice do you have for younger artists?

My advice to young artists is to keep working. Work hard - have a daily work schedule and keep to it. Take time to develop your work and hone your ideas before attempting to exhibit. Trust your instincts and don’t bend to what is ‘in’ and popular in the art world. Don’t let disappointments stop you. We all have them - it’s part of living. Create a community of artist friends and show up for them. No one will understand what you’re doing like another artist. Have FAITH in your own voice and the art making process. If you do, the process will take you where you need to go.

Any more thoughts about art, creativity, or anything else you would like to share?

Looking at art gives us an opportunity to slow down. Visit galleries and museums as much as possible. Take time to be with the art and allow it to reveal itself. Making art in this contemporary world we live in feels like an act of resistance. Most of us are living fast paced, screen addicted lives. Making art and viewing art is a much needed antidote.

Jeremy Dennis