When Words Become Mark-Making
Some of the paintings included in DARKMATTER look almost like a sign you might see by the side of the road. This is of course intentional and is meant to explore how far I can push the visual components of the written words in a way that presents them as words but also as line and form detached from meaning.
Perhaps it is impossible to write a word on a painting and not be tempted to infer meaning from it. These paintings use words as almost the entire visual experience but still function as line, shape, and color elements that build the dynamics of the image. Presenting them as if they are as sign is a way of playing with clarity of message. As I continue this direction in my work I am asking the question; can the written word be the main aspect and somehow still not be stuck in its own word-ness? And more, where is the flux point? What parameters are required for this phenomenon to occur, and when it does, (if it does) will viewers have unique individual interpretations, and experiences. Can the words produce a vagueness that is both intriguing and ever changing?
The Domino Effect 2022
60″x48″ Oil, pigment stick, spray paint on canvas.
A Heavy Rain Will Fall 2022
72″x60″ Oil, pigment stick spray paint on canvas.
No one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom. In this painting a violinist weeps while playing a bittersweet melody. The notes fall as teardrops on the fertile ground, nourishing new life while mourning the loss of those who are consumed by fires of prideful wanting.
Fool’s Paradise 2022
30″x40″ Oil, spray paint, pigment stick on canvas.
Business As Usual. 2022
30″x40″ Oil, spray paint, pigment stick on canvas.
