Colorful Theories

Al Lachman combines philosophical musings and 50 years of paintings in his new book ‘Expressions.’

By: Jessica Loughery
   We all studied the theory of relativity at one point or another in our educational careers, but if you need a refresher, your man just might be Bucks County, Pa., artist Al Lachman. When asked about his approach to painting, one of the first things Mr. Lachman says is, "I’m very psychological and I’m very philosophical."
   A resident of Lumberville, Pa., for seven years, Mr. Lachman and his wife own and operate Lachman Gallery on Main Street in New Hope, Pa., where 25 of Mr. Lachman’s new oil and pastel paintings of landscapes, structures and flowers will be exhibited during his upcoming show, Fresh Paint, Nov. 11 through Dec. 17.
   The exhibit is the fifth annual opportunity Mr. Lachman takes to exhibit his work, though this year marks a special event. After years of working on and adding to a collection of artwork and philosophical musings and thoughts, he has published Expressions this past summer. The upcoming exhibit will include the first official signing of the book, of which a limited quantity of numbered copies will be available for purchase.
   "I started the book in my 20s," he says. "The cover I actually did when I was in my 20s. It’s 150 works I’ve done over my 50 years as an artist, arranged non-chronologically."
   During the show’s reception, Mr. Lachman will offer a brief talk on his lifetime of work, which includes brightly colored oils and pastels that hang in galleries in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida and Colorado. His art is particularly well-known for his use of color, which tends to be vibrant and striking. "Color for me is so intuitive," he says. "I know it scientifically, but it’s about whatever I’m feeling at the moment."
   Mr. Lachman has conducted painting workshops across the country. "I really try to open the students’ minds," he says, "kind of reach in there and turn some screws because I really feel that every person is unique and I try to get them to see things differently.
   "If you’re right-handed," he continues, "I try to get you to use your left. If you normally work from left to right, I have you work right to left and if that seems to work I turn it upside down."
   He offers another example: "To try to loosen you up, I might have you pick up three different brushes in the same hand and just tell you to attack the paper."
   Mr. Lachman’s unique approach to teaching art matches his distinctive view on the titling (or not titling, as it were) of his artwork: "To me, a name is just a name, a force to stop the viewer’s interpretation and understanding of a painting," he says. He refers to an unnamed painting to be exhibited during the show, one that suggests a title of something like "Sunrise."
   "What others might interpret as a sun in this painting to me was just an abstract concept," he says. "The color belonged there. It’s an emotional expression, not a literal one." By Mr. Lachman’s philosophy, even if he had conceived of the spot of yellow as a sun, he would hesitate to name the piece "Sunrise," as it might hinder the viewer’s freedom of interpretation.
   At this point in our interview, conversation arrives at Einstein’s theory of relativity and the uniqueness involved in each individual interpretation of artwork. Mr. Lachman turns to his desk and looks around for a suitable object, eventually settling on and picking up a napkin.
   "I’m going to give you a philosophy lesson on Einstein relativity," he tells me. "This is a napkin right?"
   "Right," I say.
   "We’re both looking at the same napkin?"
   "Yes."
   "But your view is different than my view?"
   "Yes."
   "But we’re still looking at the same napkin, we just view it differently?"
   "Yes."
   "Now, who has the right view point?
   "Neither," he answers himself. "We view it as separate and different entities."
   He sits back in his chair, puts the napkin back on the desk, and says, "Now that’s heavy stuff."
   What all of this essentially means for Mr. Lachman has to do with evaluation and appreciation of his work on the part of others; in scientific terms, the way observations depend qualitatively on the relative position of the art and the art enthusiast.
   "The truth is the whole thing," he says in conclusion. "We have to be flexible and open. I don’t judge people for their interpretations of my paintings but they’re free to judge the painting because it’s what’s true for them at that moment."
   Furthermore, he says, "I need the viewer to participate. I can’t interpret emotion for them. We’re both involved in the process of making a whole."
Fresh Paint: Bucks County in Pastels and Oils featuring paintings by Al Lachman
will be on view at Lachman Gallery, 39 N. Main St., New Hope, Pa., Nov. 11-Dec.
17. A reception and Expressions book signing will be held Nov. 11, 5:30
p.m. Meet-the-artist: Nov. 11, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Nov. 12, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Gallery
hours: Thurs.-Mon. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For information, call (215) 862-6620. On the
Web: www.lachmanstudios.com