New York
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”Graven Images”
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ARTIST STATEMENT
I
think of my paintings as icons or totems derived from natural forms. Each
image is conceived whole in the mind and performed (written) and refined
on canvas, paper, wood, plaster or computer screen. |
33" X23" Acrylic on tortured plywood relief |
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 Night Paddler 2' X 3' |
last. This head up last maneuver is counter-intuitive; after all we all want to bring our heads out of the water first. No matter how well the novice understands the principles of rolling (intellectually) most people try to roll with a tremendous effort applied to the paddle, then they try to wrench themselves out of the water head first. Of course this means that the roll won't work and this improper form could even dislocate a shoulder. |
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I make my art with the
same type of visual, muscle memory that is used in the Kayak Roll. I also
find a similarity with the sweeping curves used in the roll and the
sweeping curves in the gestural marks that I use in my work. My paintings
are hieroglyphs that tell visceral stories. I believe that there are
archetypal images that are part of our beings. We are attracted to the
shapes and colors of ripe fruits and women's bodies. We are repelled by
sharp teeth and snake shapes. I believe that these archetypes are wired
into our brains and are basically part of our beings. I am trying to find
these icons within myself and use them as keys to unlock the visual
depository.
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Acrylic on tortured plywood relief |
About my digital
prints...........I see the imperfections in the borders between my
shapes as artifacts of my digital process not unlike drips in painting.
Sometimes drips work. Of course sometimes seeing the process can blow an
effect. If I am really careful I can make these look like photos of well
made objects. Although I think that I have done this in some pieces I'm
not sure that I should always aim for this kind of effect. Even though I
am producing images on a very sophisticated 21st century Machine I am
still an artist who aims for the crude and the primitive. I aspire to be
rough like Dubuffet or Leger.
I like to accept accidents from the natural World into my work. Some times a curve can be smoothly produced by a single gestural stroke but sometimes I like to laboriously produce a curve in increments so I can exercise more control over the resulting shapes. This can sometimes seem hesitant. I sometimes like hesitancy.
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