Project Type: Work In Progress

Maximalism

Update 2/19/23

Most people associate this word- as it pertains to painting, at least- with Stella or more recently Julie ( the first artist I ever blogged about here) and Matthew. My remix works are definitely an attempt to use #ALLTHETHINGS, literally.

I recently started drawing more, mostly as a result of all the positive vibes I had/have around the drawing below- it has been the home screen image on my phone for about 3 months. So, of course, I began thinking about and looking to see if I can replicate it with paint.

As I get a little deeper into this one and find myself fleshing out what I can do with neon color and lighting, I’m thinking there’s a hybrid of these two approaches coming to my studio soon!

Let there be light

Update 2/19

Inspired by recent, more graphic paintings, and also by Jacqueline Humphries, I’ve begun a new piece based on the small study in the top row, and using an existing shaped-canvas, which will have (drum roll) three dimensions (hey-oh). It will have high-key color in normal light AND will have fluorescent and photo-phosphorescent dimensions (I’ve made work in this vein before– top left).

Fluorescent paint will certainly be a new challenge as these colors do not exist on the normal color wheel. I’ve also purchased “glow-in-the-dark” medium which gives a decidedly yellow-greenish cast. Technical challenges can be a lot of fun though!

Below is a short video of the changing states; video is about a minute (music by STRFKR if you care to turn on your speakers).

Black Light Painting on Paper

It probably tells the reader quite a bit about me to say that the image above makes me happy on so many levels.

I’ve made work in the past that was intended to be displayed under both black light and with no light (by utilizing photo-phosphorescent paint).

The study in the gallery above (the first of several*) is a recent continuation, or, at least, a related body of work. I’m working with adding paint on glass to create a layer of physical separation and also layering the different paints to see how they mix optically. I’ll probably use my updates to document progress.

An implied light source is important to understand the illusion in a painting, even in the case of an un-natural, fictitious space or place. I like the contradiction/duality of the work also appearing to be a source of light, in addition to the duality of having more than one appearance or set of visual characteristics, given a difference lighting. Plus, the need to change lighting requires participation, emphasizing the experiential element of seeing art; and, the additional duality that black-light art is not typically “high art” gives a gentle entry point for more audiences (I’m totally good with “that’s cool” from the non-art crowd).

*if you want to see others, sign up for this blog- I do post a lot about other artists, but I give updates on my own practice every other week as well.

Remixes

Update 12/30/22

All of the works below are created by disassembling and re-assembling cubes from previously completed paintings or studies. I call them remixes for several reasons. The “finished” compositions that result are re-assemblies of components of prior work, which are always re-assembled differently from an original. Also, the word or phrase “re-mix” is a reference to its use in the world of popular music where it refers to a re-visiting of the hook from a song (not to be confused with a “mash up” which is a remix of more than one song, but I digress). Technically the compositions aren’t remixes in the same way a song might be, since I’m not borrowing other artists’ work and re-arranging it.

These works grew partly out of working with physical cubes, and I like the idea that these two bodies of work will share the quality of being temporary and non-permanent (also like music, at least, live music). This strategy of composing also (for me, at least) centers choice a in a way that my more conventional, rectangular-format paintings can’t. This difference doesn’t make them stronger, just… different.

To me, the act of intuitive “play” without a known objective is what makes much formalist abstract art, well, non-objective. I also think the appeal of these has a lot to do with my on-going interest in the aesthetics of cellular animation, and how the visual “snap” that stacking of image layers to create space is unique- I remain intrigued by the way overlapping cubes imply that they co-existed in some other, shared space which is not defined compositionally, in fact, the opposite (referring here to the white of the wall).

I did think of the work as finished pieces at the time, rather than a project, or as site-specific installation art. As I develop this project, I believe future iterations will involve viewer participation in the play and decision-making though…