July - September 2016
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings are informed by philosophy and art, especially:
- Chinese and Japanese art – transcending time and space;
- Kandinsky’s conceptual premise that painting and music lead us to a higher level of consciousness - needing no words or story;
- American abstract expressionist art, conceptual art and the music of Stravinsky - recognizing the human experience was profoundly altered at the dawn of the 20th century.
I continue to explore themes and techniques I have used inpaintings, printmaking and ceramic sculptures over the past 25 years of art making. Several bodies ofwork are shown on this web site which encompasses 2007-2016. All of these mixed media pieces are made using graphite, acrylic varnish and acrylic paint on synthetic paper (Yupo). The sizes vary dramatically, from one exhibit to the next. Much of the work is site-specific and was created specifically for installations.
Most of the paintings and collages are non-representational while some are biomorphic (curving organic forms that imply figures). In my paintings, gesture signifies “qi” (the life force) within the Tao (the way of the universe). The abstract work is reminiscent of Asian calligraphy. The patterns echo Japanese and Chinese woodblock prints.
The designs are organized primarily by movement and by rhythm, which result from the repetition of color and pattern. The texture is created by the acrylic paint puddling and creating a variety of effects on the paper. The space in the picture plane is often ambiguous with no clear foreground and background. A broad brush stroke or gesture is often a key element in the design, as it is in action painting or Asian calligraphy.
The forms in shades of black, white and gray are made by rubbing a stick of graphite on paper with printing plates underneath (including woodblock, linoleum, polymer and other matrices). The surface is then permanently sealed with acrylic varnish which blurs the graphite slightly, creating a patina-like quality.
AJ Fletcher Foundation is located at 909 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27605. The Community Exchange Exhibitions help to enliven the offices of start-up nonprofit organizations that work inside the AJ Fletcher's building.