NEW YORK—As he paints, M. Tobias Hall contemplates the changing light of the day interacting with forms. Time can slip by so fast. It’s difficult to be just in the present—without ruminating about the past or being anxious about the future. He’s searching for what many of us yearn for: a way to feel connected with the truth of reality and, simultaneously, with something infinitely greater than ourselves.
He doesn’t take himself too seriously, but, in a sense, he’s on a symbolic quest. Like many artists, his creative process lends itself to self-discovery, to feeling connected, to empathy, and to intimacy. It’s a humbling experience.
As he paints, it’s as if he’s futilely trying to negotiate a truce with time. “Sometimes it’s a struggle, sometimes it’s more athletic and visceral, sometimes it’s very cerebral, and sometimes everything is in sync, but it’s different from day to day,” he said with palette in hand, looking at his reflection in the mirror of his mantelpiece.The painting depicts a small figure in a large interior. It is a self-portrait in his north-facing apartment, where he paints during the daytime because his studio has only artificial light. His uncluttered living room feels like a sanctuary—a kind of holding place, reflecting his interior world.
