Unconditional (01)

Unconditional (01)

Mixed media on board

36x24 inches, 2010

My “Unconditional” series introduces more direct symbolic imagery into my work. The symbol of a cross is woven with kitchen twine over an abstract “heart center” in the painting. There is something unsettling about the way in which the twine embraces the heart and, at the same time, binds it.

Formation of Mental Objects (02)

Tangential Thinking (03)

Ink and gouache on paper.

24x36 inches. 2010.

See more from this series here.

Jacquelyn Gleisner / Painter

CSH No. 9

2009, 16x12 inches

Mixed media on panel

I came across Jacquelyn Gleisner’s work today after reading an article she wrote for the Art21 blog. Ms. Gleisner received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art (also my alma mater) in 2010.

 Pink and Purple Interior

2009, 24x36 inches

Oil on canvas

I enjoy the use of color and decorative elements in her works, but I have to admit... I like what she says about her creative process even better.

She starts her article on Art21 with a quote by David Hockney that I also find poignant in my own life/work as an artist: “We live in an age where the artist is forgotten. He is a researcher. I see myself that way.” [emphasis mine]

She says, “I believe that as artists, our hunger for the acquisition of knowledge must be unequivocally matched by our desire to create. Making art that is singular in its focus simply fails to communicate to a broad audience.”

Well said!

I am continually struggling with how to create artwork that is viscerally appealing—with a wider audience in mind—while also bringing in those elements of discomfort and conflict that provide a larger sense of purpose, meaning, thoughtfulness, and passion.

Formation of Mental Objects (01)

Tangential Thinking (01)

Ink and gouache on paper.

36x24 inches. 2010.

The word “thought” is simply defined as the “formation of mental objects.” I like the efficiency of this definition, as it reminds me of the “chitta vritti” I’ve been working with in some of my other paintings. I see each of these little ink bursts as discreet objects—perhaps an abstract representation of those mental objects (thoughts) that ceaselessly bounce around in our heads.

Alex Couwenberg & Wabi Sabi

I recently came across these abstract paintings by Alex Couwenberg. His work is heavily influenced by his Dutch-Indonesian heritage. He grew up in California, and you can see the obvious Californian character of his paintings.

These paintings remind me of the work of Rex Ray, another contemporary California artist whose work I admire. I love the graphic qualities of these works, as well as the slightly sickly color palettes. I'm reminded of 1950s surface patterns, maybe textiles, wallpaper, or linoleum.

There’s an appealing tension in these paintings—maybe something uncontrolled, something undesired being swept under the rug. It’s a kind of forced order that seems a bit out of order (if you know what I mean).

His newer works are becoming more and more mechanical, more precise—they look almost computer generated. I would like to see them in person sometime... When I look closely, I think I see textures on the surface of the paintings that don’t come across well in the photos. I hope so, because I really like the idea of the artist attempting to control something that is inherently uncontrollable. Personally, I like to see evidence of the artist’s hand in his/her work... there’s just something more authentic, perhaps closer to the spirit (at least for me) when a work of art is flawed in some way.

I think my desire to see evidence of the artist’s process is residue from my experiences working digitally for so long as a professional graphic designer. In my best (favorite) graphic design work, I try to incorporate evidence of physical processes, through hand-painted textures, scanning in objects/textiles, or simply by designing elements to be purposefully slightly off-kilter.

I’m newly intrigued by the Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi.” According to Richard Powell in his book Wabi Sabi Simple: “[Wabi-sabi] nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.” I think I will be studying this idea more in-depth very soon. According to my limited research so far, it appears that this concept is mirrored in Native American and ancient Indian cultures as well. Stay tuned—I think I’ll be returning to this line of thought in future posts.

Chitta Vritti 01

Chitta Vritti (01)

Ink, pastel, acrylic, and twine 

on paper mounted on board.

36x36 inches. 2010.

Patanjali, sage and writer of the bedrock text on yoga practice—The Yoga Sutras, begins his famous work with the statement “Yogas citta vrtti nirodaha”. In English, this phrase roughly translates to: “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.” This new series of paintings seeks to juxtapose the chitta vritti (mental chatter) against its opposite (mental stillness). 

Sold! / Mesa County Libraries

Ribcage

Ink on paper. 20x26 inches. 2010.

This piece was just purchased by Colorado’s Mesa County Libraries for their permanent collection! It will be on view at the Fruita Branch. Please join me at the new Fruita Library Open House on February 2, 2011.

Piet Mondrian: Favorite Famous Artists / Part 5

As a visual art student in high school at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, I became infatuated with the work of Piet Mondrian. I liked his earlier, more ambiguous paintings better than his later, purely geometric works.

There was a spiritual warmth to the earlier works that seemed to be missing in the later ones. I think it had to do with the color palettes as well as the imperfection of the geometry he was creating at the time.

I remember seeing these and trying to mimic them in my own work. I remember doing a project at The School of the Arts — a diptych — where I juxtaposed the influences of Piet Mondrian and Francis Bacon (Check back for Part 6 in my “Favorite Famous Artists” series). The two artists’ work couldn’t be more different.

 

I do still like the geometric, primary works too, though. I guess they just seem a little cold compared side-by-side to the other ones. One thing that redeems some of this later work for me is that although it attempts to be so perfect, the hand is still very apparent. I like this one: it’s a little bit dirty. I’m not sure why that pleases me so!

Snowy Southern Utah from the Sky

I was working in Los Angeles this week, and was lucky enough to have a window seat and beautiful weather for the flight back to Colorado today. I think you can make out the San Juan Mountains way off in the distance.

Notice the narrow fins protruding up from the desert floor on the left... And the formations on the right look like someone just came along with a razor blade and sliced into the earth in a cross-hatching pattern.

I’m always surprised to see Lake Powell from the air. Strange gnarly shapes are created when the water fills big canyons. It looks so much different from the air than it does on the ground.

The snow on the Utah landscape really accentuates the geologic forms in the earth. Amazing!

Click on the photos to see them larger...

Under Water / Jewels of the Mind

Jewels of the Mind (04) Under Water

Ink on paper mounted on board
24x32 inches. 2010