Spawn 2006-2010
Harrison Gallery, Indianapolis
April 9 - May 1, 2010
A process of orchestrated aberration guides these paintings.
I borrow heavily from the accidental aesthetics of thrift store art. Crude paint handling, unlikely color combos, illogical spatial illusion and other nonacademic methods drive my process. Form is compromised by globs of “ornamental” texture, circles and pods repeat with obsessive frequency. Awkward composition scenarios and discordant color palettes force new visual reckonings.
I choose these awkward and contrary painting methods to challenge my own aesthetic conventions. I still want these paintings to “work”, and so I must figure out anew what this means. I must create a new visual logic, in my overall approach and within each painting.
As I work out these formal incongruities, subject matter creeps in. These paintings are more guttural than cerebral, and this manifests in different ways. The paint application is tactile and sensual, the forms are sexually suggestive, the imagery alludes to creature hood, and even humorously references sci-fi. The show title “Spawn” came after the fact, when most of these works were already painted. I realized how strong the figurative suggestions had become, and decided to embrace them.
I am most pleased that the subjective content derives directly from the formal application. The particulars of the paint manipulation fuel the subject matter. This is a major development for me as an artist.
April 9 - May 1, 2010
A process of orchestrated aberration guides these paintings.
I borrow heavily from the accidental aesthetics of thrift store art. Crude paint handling, unlikely color combos, illogical spatial illusion and other nonacademic methods drive my process. Form is compromised by globs of “ornamental” texture, circles and pods repeat with obsessive frequency. Awkward composition scenarios and discordant color palettes force new visual reckonings.
I choose these awkward and contrary painting methods to challenge my own aesthetic conventions. I still want these paintings to “work”, and so I must figure out anew what this means. I must create a new visual logic, in my overall approach and within each painting.
As I work out these formal incongruities, subject matter creeps in. These paintings are more guttural than cerebral, and this manifests in different ways. The paint application is tactile and sensual, the forms are sexually suggestive, the imagery alludes to creature hood, and even humorously references sci-fi. The show title “Spawn” came after the fact, when most of these works were already painted. I realized how strong the figurative suggestions had become, and decided to embrace them.
I am most pleased that the subjective content derives directly from the formal application. The particulars of the paint manipulation fuel the subject matter. This is a major development for me as an artist.
