“Every perception of colour is an illusion… we do not see colors as they really are. In our perception they alter one another.”
— Josef Albers
Michael John Valentine – Taking A Ride
A Visionary Journey Beyond Form and Narrative
In the oeuvre of contemporary abstraction, there are works that decorate environments and works that transform them. Michael John Valentine’s original painting Taking A Ride is unmistakably of the latter category. More than a piece of visual decoration, it is a dynamic conversation between surface and sensation — a work that invites the viewer to relinquish literal interpretation and instead participate in an emotional and perceptual journey.
“Taking A Ride” is an abstract modern painting on canvas available in collector-ready sizes ranging from intimate to grand, each meticulously overpainted in select areas and finished with a protective glossy glaze that amplifies both depth and nuance. It arrives unstretched, rolled with utmost care in a sealed tube, inviting bespoke framing that underscores its individuality and presence.
The Essence of the Image
At first encounter, “Taking A Ride” appears kinetic — a composition in motion. The title itself evokes movement, momentum, and a subconscious passage through thought and sensation rather than geography. Where representational art anchors understanding to the familiar, Valentine’s abstraction dissolves the expected in favor of experience. Color, gesture, and surface become active participants in the dialogue between the work and its audience rather than signifiers of any fixed subject.
The scale and proportion of this piece, whether in a dramatic 30″ × 63″ or a more intimate 16″ × 24″ format, are thoughtfully calibrated to the collector’s space. Each variant carries its own spatial energy: the larger canvases breathe expansively, allowing the eye to wander, pause, and return; the smaller formats concentrate intensity, encouraging prolonged engagement.
An Alchemy of Technique and Intuition
Valentine’s process — marked by selective overpainting and layered brushwork — underscores a dual commitment to intention and improvisation. This method echoes the deep tradition of abstract pioneers, in which the act of painting itself becomes an archive of decisions made in real time. As Albers suggested, the experience of color is not an objective fact but a perceptual phenomenon — one which Valentine navigates with intuitive sophistication.
In “Taking A Ride,” the viewer perceives more than hues; they perceive resonance. Warm and cool tones juxtapose and align in ways that suggest rhythmic ebb and flow, guiding the eye across fields that feel alive with movement. This is not a static tableau; it is a landscape of sensibility — a chromatic topography in which emotion and perception merge.
Emotion and Encounter
Abstract art — when it truly succeeds — becomes a mirror to the viewer’s inner state. It doesn’t tell you what to think; it makes you feel. In looking at “Taking A Ride,” one might sense a heartbeat in the rising tension of contrasts or a breath held in the quiet embrace of complementary tones. This is what differentiates a visual experience from an aesthetic encounter: the piece resonates at the borders of thought and instinct.
The title itself — evocative yet ambiguous — invites interpretation without prescribing it. To “take a ride” can be literal, metaphorical, emotional, or even spiritual. Valentine subtly extends this invitation: bring your own memories, your own interpretations, and let them coalesce with the visual impetus of the work. The painting does not confine your imagination — it stimulates it.
Collectible Significance
Collectors of contemporary abstraction are increasingly discerning; they seek works that possess not just decorative allure, but depth of presence. “Taking A Ride” meets this demand with both aesthetic richness and technical integrity. The certificate of authenticity included with overpainted, signed canvases underscores its place as a singular work within Valentine’s extensive body of art.
This piece stands among Valentine’s broader abstract explorations — a lineage of compositions committed to perceptual freedom and emotional clarity. For those collectors who value art that evolves with repeated viewings — that reveals new subtleties over time — this painting functions as a long-term companion rather than a fleeting spectacle.
Why It Matters Now
In a cultural moment marked by distraction and overload, a profound abstract work offers something rare: space to think, feel, and reflect. The luxury of abstraction lies not in ornamentation but in invitation — an invitation to slow down, to observe with intention, and to discover resonance in the nonliteral. In this context, “Taking A Ride” is not just timely — it is necessary.
In conclusion, Michael John Valentine’s “Taking A Ride” stands as an exemplar of meaningful contemporary abstraction. It is a work that bridges intention and intuition, surface and depth, movement and stillness. For the discerning collector — whether private, corporate, or institutional — this painting offers a unique and enduring encounter with form, emotion, and imagination itself.
