In lieu of a traditional artist statement, I am offering notes and journal entries that relate to the subject of my artwork. These sections appear as written, yet in some cases, I have edited for clarity.
From 2/12/07—Dream Journal Entry…(at the end of the dream)...One amazing thing did happen. I suppose it was a transition from afternoon to evening when all across the sky colors and tones changed in a very ordered fashion as if a transparent curtain were being pulled aside and revealed the Universe beyond. The Universe was very dimensional—like a model, or diorama—there were twin stars, planets, all there on a massive scale as if the sky were a window that looked out on an incredible landscape but the landscape was a celestialscape and it was sublimely (and frighteningly) beyond all sense (paradigm) of human scale.
From 3/07 (at Met Muse) De Chirico "Metaphysical Still Life" and Picasso "Nude Standing by the Sea"--my landscapes are attached to these works. I am reminded that--as I doubt my work--my work is about remaining focused, remaining quiet in a noisy room, everything hinges on the subtlety of the elements and their interrelations. Remember Mondrian. Make good proportions, good composition, good light/modeling.
From 5/21/07...The clouds today are as they were the day last year I saw them and had the idea to paint them. Noticed today that the area of the sky looks different according to the position of the Sun in the sky i.e. the area of the sky around the sun is washed out—low contrast—low saturation of hue. Whereas the area of the sky opposite the position of the Sun is richer in hue saturation and has more contrast from light tone at the horizon to dark tone at the apex. The clouds are almost white at the top and a faint gray at the bottom. The white at the top is a sharp contrast to the depth of tone of the blue-violet background of the sky. I have been making the sky too dark at the top and not light enough at the horizon. Perhaps must lighten all tones of the sky thus having to lighten the outer space grays as well.
It occurs to me that the point of the landscape paintings is that with the light as it passes along the cloud forms and as it seamlessly modulates in the sky—and as the light falls across all visible subjects, everything is in some way a version of, or a variation on everything else inclusively. I think this is it for the paintings at least. All forms rendered as modulating energy and form perhaps recognizable by color (hue) or location in the composition but ultimately the same thing be it sky, land, water, star, planet, in this view all is (individually) a variant of the collective energy source from which all comes into existence/being. This is to say the cellular/molecular structure of a tree is the same as the molecular structure of water is the same as the molecular structure of the atmosphere is the same as the particulate structure of light in that they are variants of an originating form/energy.
From 6/8/07…the blue sky—day time sky creates a ceiling—visible ceiling that hides the Universe, encloses the Earth, turns the minds of people toward Earthly considerations as if the Earth were the Universe and no more—which it is and is not.
From 6/27/07...(on life)…Everything is connected. Every single thing is a manifestation of that connection.
From 8/22/07…(on painting)...I am trying to create forms that operate in a mode of visual shorthand by way of my own and sometimes-appropriated iconography in an attempt to express the grandeur of experience that is part of existence and that which is normally beyond expression.
From 8/24/07…(on process)...If the process is the result of a (desired) product--that is craft, or illustration. If the product is the result of a process (original/open-minded)--that is art--innovation.
From 2/12/07—Dream Journal Entry…(at the end of the dream)...One amazing thing did happen. I suppose it was a transition from afternoon to evening when all across the sky colors and tones changed in a very ordered fashion as if a transparent curtain were being pulled aside and revealed the Universe beyond. The Universe was very dimensional—like a model, or diorama—there were twin stars, planets, all there on a massive scale as if the sky were a window that looked out on an incredible landscape but the landscape was a celestialscape and it was sublimely (and frighteningly) beyond all sense (paradigm) of human scale.
From 3/07 (at Met Muse) De Chirico "Metaphysical Still Life" and Picasso "Nude Standing by the Sea"--my landscapes are attached to these works. I am reminded that--as I doubt my work--my work is about remaining focused, remaining quiet in a noisy room, everything hinges on the subtlety of the elements and their interrelations. Remember Mondrian. Make good proportions, good composition, good light/modeling.
From 5/21/07...The clouds today are as they were the day last year I saw them and had the idea to paint them. Noticed today that the area of the sky looks different according to the position of the Sun in the sky i.e. the area of the sky around the sun is washed out—low contrast—low saturation of hue. Whereas the area of the sky opposite the position of the Sun is richer in hue saturation and has more contrast from light tone at the horizon to dark tone at the apex. The clouds are almost white at the top and a faint gray at the bottom. The white at the top is a sharp contrast to the depth of tone of the blue-violet background of the sky. I have been making the sky too dark at the top and not light enough at the horizon. Perhaps must lighten all tones of the sky thus having to lighten the outer space grays as well.
It occurs to me that the point of the landscape paintings is that with the light as it passes along the cloud forms and as it seamlessly modulates in the sky—and as the light falls across all visible subjects, everything is in some way a version of, or a variation on everything else inclusively. I think this is it for the paintings at least. All forms rendered as modulating energy and form perhaps recognizable by color (hue) or location in the composition but ultimately the same thing be it sky, land, water, star, planet, in this view all is (individually) a variant of the collective energy source from which all comes into existence/being. This is to say the cellular/molecular structure of a tree is the same as the molecular structure of water is the same as the molecular structure of the atmosphere is the same as the particulate structure of light in that they are variants of an originating form/energy.
From 6/8/07…the blue sky—day time sky creates a ceiling—visible ceiling that hides the Universe, encloses the Earth, turns the minds of people toward Earthly considerations as if the Earth were the Universe and no more—which it is and is not.
From 6/27/07...(on life)…Everything is connected. Every single thing is a manifestation of that connection.
From 8/22/07…(on painting)...I am trying to create forms that operate in a mode of visual shorthand by way of my own and sometimes-appropriated iconography in an attempt to express the grandeur of experience that is part of existence and that which is normally beyond expression.
From 8/24/07…(on process)...If the process is the result of a (desired) product--that is craft, or illustration. If the product is the result of a process (original/open-minded)--that is art--innovation.
"Everytime I finish a new poem all the old ones sound like gibberish." --Lew Welch