Geometrica Four

Artist’s statement for the Geometrica Painting Series

The use of geometry has been a valuable tool and source of fascination to many artist’s and architects throughout recorded history.  The basic understanding of “space” is an essential aspect of geometry.  The study of points, lines, planes, angles and triangles, congruence and connectedness are fundamental to geometry.  Geometry has even expanded into describing spaces that lie beyond the normal range of human experience.

Artist’s and architects use geometry to define the spatial aspects of structures.  Beginning with the Pythagoreans of the sixth century BC onwards geometry has been used to create forms considered harmonious in relation to their surroundings according to their aesthetic and sometimes even to their religious principles.  The theme of symmetry in geometry is nearly as old as the science of geometry itself.  Symmetric shapes that occur in nature held deep significance for many ancient philosophers.

My personal attraction to geometry has developed rather unconsciously along with my obsessional interest in architectonic imagery.  I introduce architectural elements into my printmaking early on in my artistic career as rectilinear juxtapositions against the flowing organic forms of the trees and landscape spaces that comprise much of my printmaking.  This early developmental use of geometry and architectural elements in my artwork was initially serendipitous and the allure of geometry has continued to intrigue me as I develop the painting series that I call “Geometrica”.

With the Geometrica series I am exploring the side by side subtleties of pure form and color.  Some aspects of my printmaking work inform these images even though they are a pronounced departure from my reality based studies of plants, trees and landscapes.  The actual surface quality and deep textures of the paint in the Geometrica series is not easily apparent in photographic representations of these paintings.  The drawn lines, for example, are actually quite deeply recessed and closer to the canvas than the more thickly applied painted panes in the images and are somewhat reminiscent of etched lines in a copper plate.  Another aspect of my printmaking work that seeps into these paintings are the random accidental textural passages that peak through the subsequent layering of the thicker paint as I puzzle together the playfully saturated juxtaposing colors.  

It was not my initial intent to have these images feel like they could be studies for stained glass windows but as the series is developing this sense of the stained glass association seems to be emerging because the colors are delineated and separated by the hard sharp edges of the geometric line work.  The scale of these painting are also a pleasing departure for me from the carefully meticulous and minute observational rendering of details in my printmaking work.  I am honestly attracted to working both ways and I am creating these larger more abstract paintings right alongside with the tightly detailed hand coloring painting work that I have been doing on my etchings.