Seeing but Not Believing

Let me quote an excerpt from Leah Ollman’s “Sense of Self Exists in Theobald’s Landscapes” (Dec. 10): “When the eye and mind move from the reassuring familiarity of the horizon to the luxurious, mysterious depths of the space beyond, the evocation of a particular moment converges with a glimmer of a vaster spiritual schema. The intimate faces the absolute.”

Perhaps this would make sense to someone admiring one of Gillian Theobald’s paintings, specifically one titled “Night & Day (Eucalyptus).” But somehow I doubt it. And I doubt it because, despite acknowledging that the reproduction of an oil painting in a newspaper leaves something to be aesthetically desired, I find it very difficult to believe that a painting whose left half is black and whose right half is white could honestly or justifiably elicit those words from anyone. Unless, of course, that “anyone” happens to be far more concerned with sounding brilliant than being understood.

It is not surprising that Ollman was so enamored of and deluded by her words as to be convinced of their perspicuity. What is surprising is that someone at The Times gave a green light to her highfalutin and nearly comical copy.

CHRISTOPHER FULLER

Los Angeles