David Regan

Painting got really interesting when I decided to paint nothing.

To put it another way, I don’t look to the external world to find subject matter. There are no “things” that I observe and then abstract from. My subject matter is the moment-to-moment engagement between myself, and the marks I make on the canvas—painting as an activity of being present.

In my research I learned that, centuries ago, Eastern philosophers had intuited an understanding of the universe that is harmonious with modern physics. Simply by searching inward, they had come to the same conclusions Einstein and others proved thousands of years later. Since that realization, I’ve been exploring Eastern Philosophies, modern physics and their convergence with great relish. There are principles of each that I’ve incorporated into my process.

In making these paintings, I’m asking myself: What happens when I shed all preconceptions? Where can following my intuition take me? Where can I go if I look inward for inspiration? What I’ve found is a way to paint that is both liberating and filled with personal discovery.

My process starts with observing the blank canvas. That is what inspires me –literally, nothing. The next step is to make the first mark. That st...

BFA, Maryland Institute of Art 1995