UnderWorks

I am interested in how perception is affected, translated, expressed and how that result becomes the basis for most experience. We rely so much on what we can see even with the knowledge that techniques of illusion cause two dimensional paintings to fool the senses and appear three dimensional. I am also interested in how these same techniques, whether it be layering, foreshortening, perspective or color temperature affect perception when applied to three dimensional objects.

I challenge the notion that something has to be difficult to create in order to be ambiguous or interesting. Photo shoots do not have to involve travel to exotic locations to arouse our imagination and sensualities. So, I look at playful, simple ways to express this.

Starting with a large stack of old magazines that I planned to harvest images from for collage and digital creations, I quickly progressed to the idea of making a room full of origami figures from these pages. However, I was arrested by the fact that the remnants of the pages were just as beautifully colored as the origami squares themselves. So, I worked to find a fold for these leftovers that would produce a useable shape.

I formed a Zen garden from some and twisted others into what resembled a sculpture exhibit. I even used the sliver size trimmings to assemble what reminded me of the gunpowder paintings of Cai Gou-Qiang. However, I was most enamored with a simple compound "M" fold that stood readily on its own. Soon, I had hundreds of these sturdy shapes covering my desk and countertop. I had my unique photo-op.

As interesting and whimsical as the emerging images were, I felt they needed a more static format to give them their own place in reality. So, I began fixing them to various supports to archive the effects. This flowed very naturally into the idea of using specific palettes for additional 3-D collages.

As an abstract expressionist, much of my work involves creating a visual vocabulary to express what cannot always be communicated verbally or in a traditionally recognized narrative, specifically spiritual experience. So as I began to cut and fold some of my drip and pour paintings on paper into more "M's", it was exciting to see how the numerous resulting surfaces resembled character sets. These "language modules," as it were, soon created extended abstract texts.

Additionally, when these sturdy shapes are linked together they form a viable foundation. This makes these under-works a wonderful metaphor as they also support and extend my use of action painting techniques.

Finally, as the paper constructs are painted with the same palette and gestures as the underlying canvas or wood support, the combination creates an illusion of the painting extending itself. This challenges one's perception as it blurs the line between what is a two dimensional and a 3-D object.