Artist Statement
The current series of paintings on paper was begun in 1999, and has a number of recurring elements: the drawn human figure, geometric divisions of space, and a painterly approach to color and surface. These elements are layered and juxtaposed to create images that are strongly evocative of emotion and memory.
The figures used in these paintings begin as studio drawings of the nude human body, transferred from photo copies onto the paper surface. These primarily female figures are depicted in gestural drawings whose active line reveals a direct graphic energy. While fragmentary, the figures are insistently present, even as they dissolve into the surrounding space. The postures of the women embody expressive states of feeling and physicality.
The geometric divisions in the paintings provided a formal structure that works in contrast to the loose, organic forms of the figures. At times, the divisions create enclosed spaces for the figure to occupy. The spaces can be strongly defined, like the frames of a film, or they can be atmospheric zones of color.
The surfaces of the paintings are highly worked, revealing a process of change and development. Figures are layered, covered over, only to reemerge. A variety of drawing media are used, as well as acrylic paint that is brushed sponged, squeegeed, wiped and reapplied. The result is a rich textural and visual experience, that may include the artist’s handwriting, stenciled patterns, and drawings of flowers and chairs.
Color is a crucial element in this work, ranging from the black and white of many of the figures, to earth tones and gold’s that are enlivened by glowing passages of ocher and rust. In some of the paintings, the pigment built up in vigorous, transparent brush strokes, breaks out into vivid combinations of reds, yellows, and purple.
In these paintings, the coming together of image and technique is intended to create an emotive mood in which the viewer can participate.
The current series of paintings on paper was begun in 1999, and has a number of recurring elements: the drawn human figure, geometric divisions of space, and a painterly approach to color and surface. These elements are layered and juxtaposed to create images that are strongly evocative of emotion and memory.
The figures used in these paintings begin as studio drawings of the nude human body, transferred from photo copies onto the paper surface. These primarily female figures are depicted in gestural drawings whose active line reveals a direct graphic energy. While fragmentary, the figures are insistently present, even as they dissolve into the surrounding space. The postures of the women embody expressive states of feeling and physicality.
The geometric divisions in the paintings provided a formal structure that works in contrast to the loose, organic forms of the figures. At times, the divisions create enclosed spaces for the figure to occupy. The spaces can be strongly defined, like the frames of a film, or they can be atmospheric zones of color.
The surfaces of the paintings are highly worked, revealing a process of change and development. Figures are layered, covered over, only to reemerge. A variety of drawing media are used, as well as acrylic paint that is brushed sponged, squeegeed, wiped and reapplied. The result is a rich textural and visual experience, that may include the artist’s handwriting, stenciled patterns, and drawings of flowers and chairs.
Color is a crucial element in this work, ranging from the black and white of many of the figures, to earth tones and gold’s that are enlivened by glowing passages of ocher and rust. In some of the paintings, the pigment built up in vigorous, transparent brush strokes, breaks out into vivid combinations of reds, yellows, and purple.
In these paintings, the coming together of image and technique is intended to create an emotive mood in which the viewer can participate.