Students admire Mr. Terence Netter’s work as they walk through the PMAC Gallery.
If you happened to stroll by the PMAC lately, you probably noticed the recent Arts Exhibition which showcases paintings by a man Choate knows quite well. Terence Netter, the artist behind these works, was the founding director of the Paul Mellon Arts Center in the 1970s. On January 9, Mr. Netter returned to the Choate campus for the first time after his retirement as an independent artist, bringing along some of his newest selected works. The three series included in the exhibition — ‘The Four Seasons’, ‘The Four Days of Creation’ and ‘The Zenscapes’ — were created in 1996, 2006 and 2016 respectively, each indicating a different stage of his pursuit in the arts.
Terence Netter underwent a major change in his artistic style as he decided to dedicate himself to the practice of Zen Meditation in 2006. This decision originated from his sudden desire to express a sense of peace via art.
Residing in his summer farmhouse in the Loire Valley, he was able to experience inner peace in the minimalistic surroundings, which became an inspiration to his later works such as the ‘Zenscapes’ series.
While there’s a bright contrast in the colors utilized for each painting, Mr. Netter was also able to keep it structurally simplistic. When asked to justify this interesting choice, he simply responded by saying: “I subscribe to the view that one of the earmarks of an artist is that he knows what to leave out.” With this in mind, Terence Netter created many pieces that evoke a sense of space and room for contemplation for those standing before his art. In fact, one of his main goals as an artist is to provide his audience with opportunities in which they can leave their earthly desires and concerns behind, thus achieving what’s been called as spiritual minimalism. Though he longs for this message to reach the hearts of many, he, as an artist, does not wish for any specific achievements other than to continue doing what he loves most — art and meditation — and sharing his thoughts with the world.
At last, Terence Netter shared some thoughts with the Choate community and he left us with these words: “What I want to share with the Choate Community is on the walls of the Paul Mellon Art Center: I believe that the best part of any artist is expressed in his work. I hope that all the students who are there recognize how fortunate they are to attend such a fine school with such dedicated teachers on such a beautiful campus and with such humanistic traditions.”
