I Painted the Same Thing for a Year and It Was Never the Same Thing

I Painted the Same Thing for a Year and It Was Never the Same Thing

by Akiko Amora

I should say upfront that I did not choose this subject. The subject showed up. There is a difference and it matters for everything that follows.

The first morning I was not awake in any meaningful sense. I was vertical, which in a studio where the paint is always within reach and the canvas is always already there is more or less the same as working. It was early in a way I find personally objectionable. The creature was already present — not waiting, exactly, more like already having been there for some time before I became aware of it — and it was examining my turpentine jar with the focused attention of someone who has found something genuinely interesting and is taking it seriously.

I painted it. This seemed like the obvious response. I went back to sleep afterward. That was the first morning.

It came back.

Same time, which was too early, every morning for what turned out to be a year. I did not invite it and did not uninvite it because neither of those felt like my decision to make. It fit in the studio the way certain things fit — not because someone put them there but because they belong in the category of things that are simply present, like good light or the smell of linseed oil or the specific silence of very early morning before the city remembers itself.

It could not speak, or did not speak, and I have never been sure those are the same thing. It gestured. At my belongings mostly — the jars, the brushes, a particular box of pastels it returned to several times across the year with what I can only describe as unresolved feelings. At things across the room I could not always identify. Occasionally at me, though those gestures were harder to read and I did not always try. I painted and it communicated and I received what I received and we did not discuss what was lost in translation because that also did not seem like either of our decisions to make.

The protrusions on its head — two pointed shapes that could be ears or could be a hat or could be something for which neither word is accurate — I painted differently every morning. I stopped trying to reconcile the versions around February. The creature did not seem bothered by the inconsistency. If anything it seemed faintly amused, though I acknowledge I may have been projecting. I was very tired.

Here is what I expected: that by the fortieth painting I would understand what I was looking at. That repetition would produce resolution. That the subject would eventually yield something final — a definitive version, the painting that contained all the others and made them unnecessary.

Here is what happened instead: by the fortieth painting I had more questions than I started with. By the eightieth the creature seemed, if anything, less resolved about its own nature than it had been in October. By the one hundred and fiftieth I had stopped expecting resolution and started paying attention to something else, which I think is probably the actual beginning of the work, and which took me until the one hundred and fiftieth morning to arrive at, so I hope you will be patient with yourselves about how long these things take.

What painting half-asleep produces is not worse work. I want to be clear about this because I know how it sounds. It produces different work — a different instrument making contact with a different subject at a frequency that neither of us would have chosen fully awake and that neither of us could have planned. What the half-asleep state removes from the process is intention. What it leaves intact is attention. These are not the same thing, and in my experience intention gets far more credit than it deserves while attention does most of the actual work and is not invited to the panel discussion.

Some mornings are more specific than others in my memory, which is itself information about something, though I am not sure what.

The morning in March it was interested in a glass of water I had left on the worktable and the painting came out almost entirely blue in a way I had not planned and which was the best painting of the month and possibly the year. I did not know this while I was making it. I was asleep in the relevant sense.

The morning in May it gestured at something in the far corner of the studio — a specific point, insistent, returning to it three or four times — and I could not identify what it was looking at. I painted the gesture instead of the creature. That painting does not look like the others. It looks like something being pointed at that isn't there, which is either a failure or the most accurate thing I made all year depending on how you look at it.

The morning in July I was annoyed about something unrelated to the creature or to painting or to anything in the studio. I will not say what. The painting knew. I did not tell it and it knew anyway, the way paintings know things you did not put there, and that painting has an atmosphere I have not been able to reproduce since, and I have tried, and I have stopped trying, and I think about it sometimes when I am annoyed about something and wonder if the creature could come back just for that morning.

The morning in October I worked for three weeks on a single painting — returned to it, revised it, made decisions and unmade them — and it told me nothing. The creature sat for it patiently across multiple mornings and was curious about different things on different days and I painted all of it carefully and at the end I had a very considered painting that I understand completely and which I find the least interesting of the series. I include it because leaving it out would be dishonest about what repetition actually produces, which includes mornings that do not yield anything except the information that you showed up.

What I know about this creature, after a year of mornings: everything and not enough. I know how it holds itself when something has its full attention versus when it is merely being polite. I know which of my belongings it returned to and which it examined once and set aside. I know that it arrived already knowing something I do not know and that the gap between what it knows and what I know is not something either of us was trying to close — we were just spending time on either side of it, which is its own thing and maybe the more interesting thing.

I know its protrusions are not a hat. I am sixty percent certain of this. I have been sixty percent certain since April and have not moved.

What I do not know is what it was gesturing at in the far corner in May. I have looked. I have looked many times since. There is nothing there that I can identify, which does not mean there is nothing there.

The last morning I did not know was the last morning. This is important and I want to say it plainly: there was nothing different about it. The creature arrived at the usual objectionable hour. It was interested in the pastels again — the same box it had returned to across the year, the one with the specific orange it always seemed to find unresolved, and honestly I find that orange unresolved too so I understood. I painted it the way I had painted it three hundred and some mornings before: half asleep, following its attention, making decisions that were less decisions than responses. It left at the usual time.

It did not come back the next morning. Or the morning after. It has not come back.

I have the paintings. Three hundred and something of them, each one a different answer to the same question, which I am now not sure I was asking correctly, or not sure the question was mine to begin with. The last painting is not the best one and not the worst one. It is the one that exists because that morning happened and I was there and the creature was there and the pastels were there and the orange was still unresolved and that was the entire decision, as it had always been the entire decision.

I have not decided whether to show the series. I do not know if it will return. I have decided not to have a position on this, which is itself a position, which I am choosing to find acceptable for now.

The far corner of the studio is still there. I have not moved anything in it. I am not sure why I am telling you this.

The Politics of Gloss: On Slippery Surfaces and the Future of Finish

The Politics of Gloss: On Slippery Surfaces and the Future of Finish

The world is getting glossier.

Our objects shimmer. Our screens shine. Our faces are filtered into gleam. We live surrounded by luminous skins—polished, plated, perfected—each one promising more than it reveals. But gloss is not neutral. It is not merely a style. Gloss is a code, a power, a boundary. It seduces, it deflects, it denies entry.

In the age of frictionless design and biotech sheens, the surface has become an interface of ideology. Who gets to shine? Who stays matte? And what does it mean to finish a work, anyway?

Gloss Is Power

Historically, gloss has always meant more.
A glossy oil painting in a Dutch home? Wealth.
A lacquered cabinet in an imperial court? Power.
A chrome car? Status. Sex. Speed. Danger.

To polish something is to render it untouchable—a surface that resists both time and hands. Gloss hides the labor that made it. It says: I emerged whole. I was never messy. It says: Don’t look behind this skin. It is the ultimate cosmetic: sealing the wound of process, erasing the trace of making.

Even today, in the age of digital everything, the gloss remains aspirational. Phones are buffed to brilliance. Shoes mirror the sky. Nails gleam like synthetic pearls. To shine is to signal not just beauty, but superiority.

Matte as Resistance

But some artists refuse to shine.
There’s a defiance in leaving something raw. The cracked glaze. The rough edge. The unpainted back of the canvas. Matte doesn’t seduce — it confronts.

In contemporary ceramics, textiles, and sculpture, a deliberate dullness has become its own kind of signal. It says: I am not here to please. I will not vanish into perfection.
It says: Touch me. I will remember.

Matte absorbs light instead of reflecting it. It absorbs time. It carries the trace of breath, the press of a thumb. It lets the making show. In this way, matte is sometimes the more intimate surface — the more honest.

But even matte can be performative. Not all roughness is radical. Not all “unfinished” work is resisting capitalism. Sometimes the crack is curated.

Frictionless Futures

Let’s step forward — or sideways — into the surface of the not-quite-yet.

Imagine a painting that repels dust at the molecular level.
A sculpture coated in bio-reactive glaze that responds to your skin chemistry.
A mural that becomes glossier the longer you stare at it.

These aren’t dreams. They’re prototypes.
Labs around the world are developing quantum primers, nano-brushed interfaces, frictionless membranes. In these new materials, gloss is no longer just cosmetic — it is functional, communicative, even alive. The surface is no longer just the outer layer. It is the organ of interaction.

What happens to art when its surface outthinks the viewer?

The Surface Is a Lie Told Beautifully

Gloss lies. That’s its job.

It tells us that the object is whole, complete, finished.
It tells us that we’re seeing everything — even when we’re not.

But gloss is also where myth lives. The sheen of the sacred. The reflective pool in every fairytale. The chrome mask of the unknown. Gloss can be divine, or alien, or simply… distracting.

The future of finish isn’t about style. It’s about permission.
What are you allowed to touch? What are you meant to admire only from a distance?
What finishes speak of truth, and which conceal it?

Let It Shine (Or Don’t)

In the end, gloss is a choice. So is matte. So is every surface in between.

As artists, makers, beings, and worldbuilders, we are always deciding how much friction we want to leave behind. The gloss can dazzle. The matte can ground. And sometimes, the most powerful surface is the one that refuses to reflect at all.

The Beauty and Mystery of Prehistoric Cave Art Inspires Contemporary Artists

Reviving the Legacy of Prehistoric Art: Contemporary Artists Pay Homage to Ancient Traditions

Cave paintings have fascinated and captivated people for centuries. They provide a glimpse into the world of our ancient ancestors and their daily lives, beliefs, and practices. Here are some interesting facts about cave paintings that showcase their beauty and the innovative techniques used to create them.

One of the oldest known cave paintings was found in El Castillo cave in northern Spain, estimated to be over 40,000 years old. These paintings were made by Paleolithic humans, who lived between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago. The most common subject matter in cave paintings is animals such as horses, bison, and deer. Many cave paintings were made in caves that were considered to be sacred or spiritual spaces, suggesting that they may have had a ritual or religious purpose.

WHAT

Some of the oldest known cave paintings were found in the El Castillo cave in northern Spain and are estimated to be over 40,000 years old.

Many cave paintings were made by Paleolithic humans, who lived between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago.

The most common subject matter in cave paintings are animals such as horses, bison, and deer.

Many cave paintings were made in caves in locations that are difficult to access, such as deep within caves or on high cliffs, possibly considered to be sacred or spiritual spaces and they may have had a ritual or religious purpose.

Cave paintings have been found on every continent except for Antarctica.

The paint was often applied to the walls using fingers, sticks, or brushes made from animal hair. One of the most interesting aspects of cave paintings is their interactive nature. Some cave paintings have been found to be interactive, with one painting leading to another when viewed in a particular order. This suggests that the paintings may have been part of a larger narrative or story that was important to the people who created them.

The artists also used different techniques to create texture, such as blowing paint over a stencil or scraping the surface with a tool to create lines and patterns. Some cave paintings were created using a "negative handprint" technique, where the artist placed their hand on the wall and blew or sprayed paint around it, leaving a handprint in the negative space.

 The artists used natural pigments such as charcoal, red and yellow ochre, and manganese oxide, which they ground up from minerals and rocks. They also used materials such as blood, urine, and plant juices to make the paint. 

Cave paintings provide us with a glimpse into the world of our ancient ancestors and their daily lives, beliefs, and practices. The innovative techniques used to create these paintings showcase the creativity and ingenuity of these early humans. It is truly amazing that these paintings have survived for thousands of years, allowing us to appreciate the beauty and complexity of our human history.

MATERIALS

Some cave paintings were made using natural pigments such as charcoal, red and yellow ochre, and manganese oxide.

Some pigments were made from ground up minerals and rocks, such as hematite (a red pigment), malachite (a green pigment), and charcoal (a black pigment).

The artists had to mix their own paint, grinding the pigments with water or animal fat to create a paste.

Other pigments were made from natural materials, such as blood, urine, and plant juices.

APPLICATION TECHNIQUES 

The paint was often applied to the walls using fingers, sticks, or brushes made from animal hair.

Some cave paintings were created using a "negative handprint" technique, where the artist placed their hand on the wall and blew or sprayed paint around it, leaving a handprint in the negative space.

Different techniques were used to create texture in the paintings, such as blowing paint over a stencil or scraping the surface with a tool to create lines and patterns.

FUN FACT

Some cave paintings have been found to be interactive, with one painting leading to another when viewed in a particular order.

prehistoric Art lives in a new light

The ancient and enigmatic cave paintings have captivated humans for centuries, and many contemporary artists are no exception, as they are discovering the beauty and mystery of prehistoric cave art and incorporating it into their work. Inspired by the intricate and striking designs of prehistoric art, artists today are incorporating elements of this art form into their work, creating a fusion of the old and the new. Using cave painting imagery, techniques or materials into their work either as a way to pay homage to the ancient tradition or to explore the possibilities of prehistoric art in a modern context. Here are some examples:

Julien Salaud:

French artist Julien Salaud creates intricate, web-like installations that draw on the patterns and symbols found in cave art. His works are made from materials such as thread, beads, and light, and are meant to evoke a sense of mystery and otherworldliness. Inspired by the 17,300-year-old cave paintings found in Lascaux, French artist Julien Salaud created a captivating site-specific installation for the newly renovated Palais de Tokyo in Paris.

Julien Salaud

The complex 3D composition was brought to life using luminescent strings that were carefully pinned to the ceiling of the space. In the style of the ancient cave paintings, Salaud depicted a herd of deer in his artwork. Despite its analog genesis, the luminescent strings create a psychedelic and futuristic look, almost resembling a 3D wireframe model. The contrast of the futuristic aesthetic with the archaic undertones creates a powerful effect, particularly when the installation glows in the dark, welcoming visitors. Salaud credits his inspiration to ethno-astronomer Chantal Jègues-Wolkiewiez and the Lascaux caves, which contain some of the earliest known images created by humankind.

Julien Salaud

Ugo Rondinone:

Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone creates large-scale installations that are inspired by the forms and colors of cave art. His works often incorporate natural materials such as stone and wood, and are intended to evoke a sense of timelessness and universality.

Ugo Rondinone

His use of archetypes such as horses, the sea, and the sky reflects the watery and fluctuating state of life, evoking a range of emotions and desires. Rondinone's sculptures of horses, cast from blue glass, suggest a microcosmic world and embody the four elements of nature. His painting of the sea and sky, conveyed through washes of watercolor, recalls the schematic designs of his previous work and is framed as a mental space to be entered into. Overall, Rondinone's art explores themes of time, nature, renewal, and the psyche, evoking the spiritual significance of the natural world, much like the ancient cave paintings did.

Ugo Rondinone

The world of cave paintings is one that continues to fascinate and intrigue us to this day. The fact that these works of art have survived for tens of thousands of years is a testament to the incredible artistic skill of our ancient ancestors. These paintings provide us with a window into their daily lives, their beliefs, and their connection to the natural world.

-Akiko Amora