Divides
Walter Maciel Gallery 9 September - 28 October, 2017
Continuing with a fascination with hauntingly sublime, diverse and sometimes threatening landscapes, my recent series of paintings and works on paper are a study in environmental transitions through abstraction. The new work is inspired by geologically dynamic locations in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I'm captivated by the effects of light and weather in this mountainous region, the blinding reflection of the sun on the icy lakes and boiling sulfur pools, the intermittent chance of color amid scenery bathed in bubbling/spitting mud and the coexistence of life in a landscape surrounded by harsh destruction. I explored Idaho, Wyoming and Montana where I was drawn to the geological forces at work both above and below the earth’s surface. Hot springs, geysers, giant calderas, super volcanoes and a constant screen of smoke from wildfires are catalyst for this new work.
I process the unpredictable natural manifestations and surprising juxtapositions that I have observed by physically composing and manipulating materials. I begin by painting and staining satin, silk, velvet, and metallic fabrics with ink and acrylic paint. The effects of the liquid pigment on fabric parallel the powerful geological processes my work explores: in some places the forms are dense and saturated, while in others the pigment seeps and splashes. Once painted, I cut the fabric into strips and embed them in layers of more paint and pigment on canvas, wood panels or paper to create striated compositions.
Like tectonic plates pushing past one another, the fabric bands are offset to create fragmented forms that mimic the kinetic energy of natural processes. The disjunction of forms also allows me to show multiple perspectives at once, simultaneously capturing what is occurring above and below ground as well as from the car windows and rearview mirrors. Finally, the discontinuous bands of fabric suspend and intertwine different moments in time, much like a filmstrip that has been spliced together.
Walter Maciel Gallery 9 September - 28 October, 2017
Continuing with a fascination with hauntingly sublime, diverse and sometimes threatening landscapes, my recent series of paintings and works on paper are a study in environmental transitions through abstraction. The new work is inspired by geologically dynamic locations in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I'm captivated by the effects of light and weather in this mountainous region, the blinding reflection of the sun on the icy lakes and boiling sulfur pools, the intermittent chance of color amid scenery bathed in bubbling/spitting mud and the coexistence of life in a landscape surrounded by harsh destruction. I explored Idaho, Wyoming and Montana where I was drawn to the geological forces at work both above and below the earth’s surface. Hot springs, geysers, giant calderas, super volcanoes and a constant screen of smoke from wildfires are catalyst for this new work.
I process the unpredictable natural manifestations and surprising juxtapositions that I have observed by physically composing and manipulating materials. I begin by painting and staining satin, silk, velvet, and metallic fabrics with ink and acrylic paint. The effects of the liquid pigment on fabric parallel the powerful geological processes my work explores: in some places the forms are dense and saturated, while in others the pigment seeps and splashes. Once painted, I cut the fabric into strips and embed them in layers of more paint and pigment on canvas, wood panels or paper to create striated compositions.
Like tectonic plates pushing past one another, the fabric bands are offset to create fragmented forms that mimic the kinetic energy of natural processes. The disjunction of forms also allows me to show multiple perspectives at once, simultaneously capturing what is occurring above and below ground as well as from the car windows and rearview mirrors. Finally, the discontinuous bands of fabric suspend and intertwine different moments in time, much like a filmstrip that has been spliced together.
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