Mu (無), a Japanese/Chinese word for nothing, is said to be a gateway to Zen. It's a state of mind that transcends the perceived distinction between self and the rest of the world. In this state, the mind becomes clear as a mirror, the body merges with the surroundings, thoughts and movements become spontaneous and natural. In this state of mind, an artist no longer creates art as a separate entity; the artist becomes his/her art, which in turn reflects perfectly upon the artist. Santa Fe artist John Guernsey, a life-long Zen practitioner, has been seeking this state of mind in his paintings.

Guernsey developed an interest in painting early (His mother and grandfather were both painters). He studied painting at Alfred University and later at the Art Students’ League. But it was a Chinese sumi-e show in a New York City museum that sparked his interest in Chinese and Japanese sumi-e and calligraphy, particularly Zenga, a form of brush painting practised by Zen Monks. This, along with his Zen practice, formed his desire to create paintings that are spontaneous, alive, and combine elements from Eastern and Western traditions.

Unlike traditional sumi-e painters who apply ink with a variety of Oriental brushes, Guernsey paints with oil, using only a simple palette knife. He recalled how he developed his style. He used to paint in a representational style, he would often scrape off the palette with a knife and swipe the colors onto a piece of newspaper. He was struck by the unexpected beauty of the intermingled colors resulted from his casual hand movements. That is how he wanted to paint! He quickly learned that it was very difficult to deliberately create paintings with such spontaneity. After many experiments, he settled on the simplest tools, oil colors, pigments, a palette knife and no brushes.

However, the most important ingredients are not the tools. As in Japanese Zen painting, the mindset of the painter is of the utmost importance in order to express the ineffable in a direct and uninhibited manner. Guernsey prepares for each painting session by emptying his mind through Zazen meditation. Then, in a burst of energy, he would apply colors onto paper with a single or a few strokes of a palette knife. The aim is to project himself in an instant onto the medium, with minimal conscious thoughts and deliberate thinking. He works with either watercolor paper or Japanese paper. The former accentuates impact and strength. The translucent nature of Japanese paper yields delicate nuance uncommon for this medium. With this approach, the creation of each painting is fresh, vibrant, and immediate.

The current exhibition, Mu - Subliminal Expression of the No Mind, features 19 pieces of unusually candid and expressive oil-on-Japanese-paper work that embodies the artist's continued artistic and spiritual journey.