Canvas

 

It hung on the wall, surrounded by the works of the masters in gilded frames. It sat in between the Mona Lisa and The Starry Night, almost as a breaker between the styles. No one knew what to do with it of course; it was outside of their realms of expertise. They spent weeks trying to work out who had inspired this art; art that left the greatest critics scratching their heads in confusion.

The canvas was a virgin white, the crisscross weave clearly visible to anyone looking. The two metre expanse of white was like a magnet, drawing attention away from the classics to this one piece, looking to see why such a plain painting hung next to the work of the irreproachable masters. It was clearly more than a simple white blankness to be worth the prestige it was offered. Finally, when they stood so close that they could almost smell the canvas, they saw it. An off-center tiny black dot the size of a pinhead, delicately marring the perfect base.  

In its early days, people had reached out to brush their hands across the canvas trying to dislodge the speck of dust. Some blowing gently at the canvas as if to dislodge a speck of dust before they realized it was a part of the artwork. A small acrylic dot demanding all of the attention of the people who would look at it.

There had been a man who had seen it, who had studied the image, taken photo’s and prints and scans. He had written an essay that had the art world in frenzy. He’d likened the dot to a mark on a human soul; said that the controversial painter ‘Anon’ had encompassed the way even the cleanest soul needed only one mark. One mark and it would be the only thing a person would ever look at. It was a great theory, a relevant theory, people wrote stories based on it, they argued against it, positing ideas more and more far fetching. Calls were sent out in an almost compulsive need to find the artist. To discover once and for all what meaning was intended by such a blatant disregard for style and propriety. The gallery curator harassed and questioned as to how he’d gotten the piece.

No replies ever came, nor final decision concluded. It hung on the wall, blissfully unaware of the controversy it caused. It shone in the lights angled to bring forward the tiny black point, to illuminate the mystery the world saw. It wasn’t until closing, when the cleaner came forward to turn off the lights, that the painting ever saw its creator. An old man never noticed, underpaid and underappreciated; a man completely ignorant about art and snubbed for his ignorance. A man who’d set the world on edge with his one tiny speck of knowledge.

The world only needed to think something’s important for it to become the work of a visionary mind.

Reviews

[lee von cleef]

Our world too,spins uncaring who steps on or off.

[Kaya]

I find it so remarkable that we all agree with the general consensus just because we aren't sure of our own opinion. No matter how long you've studied art, You still only have an opinion of the skill and the look. A mother is as proud of her child's fingerprinting as she is impressed with an original Picasso. To be honest i couldn't agree with you more. Thank you.

[lee von cleef]

Fiy poop can be impressive . it is all just perspective.

[Layla J Omorose]

Very well written story. Good description and flow. Good job.

[Coyote Poetry]

I enjoyed this story. Somethings mystery is the reason we appreciate a painting or something unknown. I like the history of the painting and the attention given to it. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote

[Pax]

a great story of the mind of artist. wide enoyable read. great job

[Craig2591]

Brilliant! As a professional artist for decades, I can vouch for your story's accuracy. I see this sort of thing quite often. Very well written and entertaining.

[Kaya]

Thank goodness... i know absolutely nothing about art, but i'm always amazed to see something so strange make it in the art world.

[Odayin]

Kaya, I'm going to completely honest with you, I think your style of writing is remarkable and mind-blowing. Your so unique with every piece of work and each one amazes me in it's own way. You seem to have the ability to look deeper into the human mind and find some of the littlest things that have the largest responses...like that little black dot. I love how you completely capture the realistic but so unexpected result and reaction that people would really show. I don't know where you got the idea for this, but it's remarkable and I admire the ability you have. Don't ever let your gift die

[Kaya]

A friend asked me for the link to my work once, and she told me how brave she though it was, that people posted their work on here. I'm going to be honest with you. I'm anything but brave, it's comments like this one that pull me away from my stupor of writers block and give me the courage and the inspiration to write something new. Thank you so much!!! I think you just made my day :D

[Odayin]

Anytime Kaya:) and I'm sure that you're plenty brave, even if it's not in the areas that you think. But seriously, I bet no one will ever say anything bad about your writing except yourself, which you must understand that you really are talented

[Kaya]

All this praise... You may have made meblush :P But thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoy it!