|
Pentimento series: "I set up the piece initially with a layer of paint or images covered in plaster, then begin the reductive activity of carving out, sanding, smoothening, revealing, imitating processes in nature. The process becomes a discovery of hidden layers of color and visual information. This is a theme for me in life. Things aren’t what they seem on the surface and it’s richly rewarding to cut through the initial impression to get down to the soul of things. The art process of scraping away and digging deeper mimics the spiritual journey of inquiry and discovery."
The inspirations for this method of construction comes from the smooth shapes of the water stained canyons in Arizona and Utah, the gravel beds and landforms created by river paths, the flowing curves of the human figure, the vertical outlines of vessels and vases, and the reaching shapes of tree trunks and branches. One time at a mountain reservoir I found and sketched similar shapes in the graceful fingers of the root systems of old weathered stumps exposed seasonally by receding waters. After exposing the shapes within the picture frame, the surface is embellished with color and marks. The marks I use come from designs I see in repetitive patterns in textiles, especially those I’ve collected from Africa, India and Indonesia. Pentimento: 2. the part of a painting thus revealed. (dictionary.com) |