Monday, February 28, 2011

About my Abstract Pointillism . . .

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You're looking at the edge of one of my paintings.

My Artist Statement:

Maintaining a sense of randomness and guided by intuition , I precisely paint each dot using arbitrary systems of placement for every new color; transforming the under paintings into pointillist illusions that speak of dreams and memories and remind us of how the layering of our personalities is merely a juxtaposition of our reactions to experiences in life.

Each artwork begins with an under painting that could be either amorphous abstract with a few writing elements, or an unfinished work from a different style series, or maybe a newspaper collage that I’ve colored with pastels; but each is transformed by adding the dots in an abstract/expressionist type way. My focus is on the painting’s internal balance rather than any normal painterly devices that would bring a preconceived, specific image to fruition. And by relinquishing control of the painting to mindless whims about color and placement, I look forward to being pleasantly surprised by the resulting patterns and composition.

These are experiments in which the painting and I engage in a subtle dialog and enjoyable relationship which results in hybrid images whose layers generate a new visual chemistry.
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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Intuitive Pointillism

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There's an old saying about how the journey is more important than the destination; which pretty much boils down to - "enjoy the ride".  And that's exactly what I do while working on my paintings. There are no preconceived notions of what it should look like; no final image to bring about.

The dark blue "pieces" that make the interesting pattern came about by me filling in the last undotted spaces with one last color choice. This is yet another painting that was a delightful surprise for me when I painted the last dot. And I really like nice surprises . . . . . . .
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"Corky" O'Neill was kind enough to let me hang this in his Gallery, the O'Neill Art Gallery in Montour Falls, NY.
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Click on the images to enlarge.
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Dear Diary . . . .

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If it's angst you're looking for, Alice Leach is your woman. The statement on her Blog talks about keeping a daily diary, but I think you too will come to the conclusion that these aren't really daily record keeping, but conceptual role-playing. Someone with this much anxiety over a failed relationship really should seek help and if you compare the diaries visually, you'll notice they're always open to the middle pages (there are other clues too).
Regardless, they are powerful, weighty works and you really must visit her site so you can click to enlarge these beautiful monstrosities. There are so many variations that you're sure to find a favorite.
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Image from her blog.
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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Confusing Calligraphy

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Continuing in the same vein- interconnected, unreadable script - we have a very talented graffiti artist by the name of sowat1. An interesting oeuvre with several facets that are well worth the time you spend researching him. This image is from his Website and you'll quickly see what I mean as you peruse the images he's provided.
You'll also want to visit the Suben Site to see his works that were in a group show. Scroll down the page to see examples of his homage to Picasso, small works on cardboard, a lighter/open style of writing and his peculiar penchant for taking images of people (from many sources) and blotting out their faces with his unique style of graffiti; very thought provoking.
He also has a fotolog page. Pay attention to the calendar (by year) set-up at the bottom of the page to navigate the site.
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Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Graffiti Font

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Another artist who uses unreadable script is the well known graffiti artist Marquis Lewis; better known as RETNA. Although his font, based on Latin and Asian calligraphy and Egyptian Hieroglyphics is mysterious and unreadable, he uses it to tell hidden stories for each piece.
This image is from HYPEBEAST's coverage of his shared exhibit at The Don Gallery in Milan. You'll want to see the installation/setup pics from his current Hallelujah World Tour Exhibit.
And check out his large, collaborative wall murals.
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To gain more insight into his life and oeuvre, you can choose from these videos.
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Sunday, February 06, 2011

Cryptic Script

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Margot Voorhies Thompson has created an unreadable (to you) script and you'll appreciate and enjoy the back-story. This 7 minute Video is both informative and enjoyable.
She's represented by Laura Russo Gallery and you'll want to visit her Website.
The image is from the Art-Portland Blog that also has a short explanation of her work.
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Thursday, February 03, 2011

Spheres And Spirals

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Yuichiro Shibata is represented by the Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery, where you'll find info that sheds light on his oeuvre and career.
But you'll want to visit his Website to see all his current work and others from the last decade. I was especially impressed with the work below, made with thumbtacks, yarn and acrylic. click to enlarge
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You can watch a video (with beautiful soothing music) of his Exhibit which gives you a better idea of scale.
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Both images are from his Website.
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