Puzzled by a leading art publication's cover story entitled "IS PAINTING DEAD?" I set out to discover what qualities in the artists' work kept their art alive through the centuries. In a series of paintings called "Her Conversations," 1993, NYC, I attempted to learn the masters' "language" - their brushstrokes and color palettes. The artists' subjects were always of their time, and figurative, from religious commissions to scenes of the demimonde. But what were they asking us to think about, to consider as they opened their "conversations" with us?

And what are we asking the viewers of today's art to think about? I've been looking at some of the earliest art, the cave drawings, which were singular thoughts for the most part - horse, human figure, a palm print signifying "I am here." Just how much information is necessary to communicate an idea/ideal in an artwork?