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Doug Kent Painterby Jack Schimmelman

Doug Kent - White Face Cat - 1991(Mixed media on wood)

http://www.dougkentpaintings.com/http://www.dougkentpaintings.com/

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You go on an old Indian Hill on Marthas Vineyard make a leftmake a right and follow the sound of hungry new born birds andyou might find yourself at the studio of Doug Kent. Dougembodies the word, concept painter. He is an Artist. His

paintings have manifested a profound vision for more than 50years, exemplified by simple, elegant line, grace and harmony.His subjects may be said to be quotidian, but they are unlikeanything you have ever experienced. A cat, pig, wolf, goatemanating from the brush of Mr. Kent become myth. You maythink you know the object that is being presented to you, but asteadier gaze informs you that a parallel universe is revealed.

Though familiar, it awakens a heretofore-veiled cosmos. Amoment of time, a moment of space describes Mr. Kentspaintings.

I have followed Mr. Kents career for more than 30 years. Herelentlessly deepens his palette. Upon returning to MarthasVineyard, I got in touch with the artist to reacquaint myself withhis work and to see where his journey had brought him. Heinvited me to his studio in a junction of enchanted wood. Hisstudio is a converted barn with high ceilings and an industrialheater to keep him warm in the winter. Upon entering I wasimmediately struck by the new series that Mr. Kent was

manifesting. He called it his Mind Travel series. It was a radicaldeparture from decades of previous work. These paintings had nosubject, but rather appeared to manifest directly from the artistssoul.

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Doug Kent, Mind Travel Series - B1, 2012

Used by permission

He told me a story of when he went to the local Buddhist centerand sat in a circle at the feet of the Rinpoche. Filled withreverence and a thirst for knowledge, one student asked aboutthe Buddhist concept of what mind travel looked like. In theBuddhist tradition, mind is eternal. Our bodies, personalities die,but our essential Being, the mind, lives forever andreincarnates. After a few moments with everyone waiting for the

secret to emerge from shadows, the Rinpoche responded that noone knew how the image of the traveling mind appears. Uponhearing this answer, Mr. Kent saw a series of paintings appear inhis mind. He went home soon thereafter and drew/painted on asmall scale a series that he called the Mind Travel series. He thenproceeded to paint each part of the series onto large-scale

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canvasses, thus further exploring his image.

When I saw what he had done, I immediately was reminded ofquantum physics and the concept of time travel. A friend of Mr.

Kent, art historian, Susan E. Thompson, said that these paintingsreminded her of a comet. Upon hearing her unfurl this image, Iimmediately understood that not only had Mr. Kent captured theessence of mind, but its quicksilver fluidity, as well. As with all ofhis paintings, these were beautiful, elegant and to the point. Ifyou hadnt been told, you may not know what they specificallyrepresented in the artists mind, but you would recognize a

journey remote and near. Ancient and present. Far, primeval,because we normally do not access this intense degree ofmanifestation. Near, present, because these images resonate

profoundly. The mind travels.

The painter talks about how the application of textured paintdetermines his singular voyage. We who encounter his work arenot merely a passive viewer. We witness a universal apparition,as we are absorbed into his palette and form.

Mr. Kent will tell you that he is merely the channel through whomthe painting manifests. Perhaps, but a finely tuned instrument is

he. These paintings invoke ultrasonic movement into a newincarnation. There they are, standing in front of us provoking usto encounter our own immortality through Mr. Kents canvas,color and form.

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Doug Kent, Mind Travel Series - C10, 2012Used by permission

Mr. Kent has confirmed that his latest series is a break from hisprevious work. Nevertheless, he retains a meticulous, free quality.

The viewer soars above the horizon in the presence of the artistspaint.

Like any other human being he has encountered lows and highs,harmony and dissonance. Like any body, his is subject to theburdens of age. Throughout it all he continues to paint on thehighest level. Doug Kent is Painter. He is a living treasure.

Doug Kent is collected internationally. He is in several corporate

collections, such as Prudential, Fujifilm and Citicorp. Many highprofile individuals collect his work.

If you wish to see more of Doug Kents paintings, go to hiswebsite -- http://www.dougkentpaintings.com/index.php.

http://www.dougkentpaintings.com/index.phphttp://www.dougkentpaintings.com/index.php

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Doug Kent in his studio with Mind Series Paintings,and holding one of a Circle Series

Photo by LamaYeshe DrolmaUsed by permission

http://www.bodhipath.org/marthasvineyard/http://www.bodhipath.org/marthasvineyard/