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Artist Statement
The eye and the mind are partners in "Seeing". My art works are dedicated to refining
"Seeing" and creating specific visions. The visions are either portraits (faithful to the eye)
or constructions (faithful to the mind). These partners cross-pollinate sharing ways of
describing the vision and framing the perspective.
The "Portraits" may be of a place, a person, or visual experience of exceptional character.
The "Constructions" are most often abstracts and installations. My first portrait of a
person was a drawing of my grandfather. My first portrait of place was the lower east
side of Manhattan. My first abstract constructions were oil paintings inspired by Igor
Stravinsky’s Firebird. Abstraction has always been a vital part of my art. In 2010 my
trend toward the abstract is kindled by the concept of pure art as a fully orchestrated
symphony. Creating a world entirely governed by the rules of art is exciting. The building
of a new symphonic voice in this visual world combines complexity and degree of
difficulty toward a fully realized mature vision. It also closes a circle with my early
associations with abstract art and music.
A scientific frontier I grew up with was Quantum Mechanics. There also, was a vision of
a world where form was the quest to explain function. Somehow in my imagination the
conceptual worlds of abstract art and quantum mechanics were linked as parallel worlds
where principals of function, relativity, design, and purpose all mirrored one another.
Science and art continued refinement of "seeing". The Hubble telescope and electron
scanning microscope refined our vision, and in art abstract ideas have evolved from
cubist statements about the process and vision to a wider concept including the natural
world. My experience with these "Symphonic Abstracts" is a window to a frozen instant.
This instant is somehow showing a world in dynamic equilibrium. Integrating
complexity, simplicity and human scale represents a personal goal. I feel the 2010
abstracts are bringing that goal to a vision I can successfully communicate. I look
forward to larger works. Installations combine site specific architectural integration with
the vision. Installations also create environments with a balance of introspective peace
and a vista. There is an excitement connected with a new frontier I describe as
"threshold." It seems to energize both the space and the individual.
The Big Picture, freezes time as well as parts of separate visions. The Installation is 30
panels which are 20"x 30" each hung in a configuration of 6 columns and 5 rows. The
approximate size of the complete installation is between 13' and 14' tall and 11' wide.
The size and combination of images offers a new canvas able to encompass a greater
scope. Some of the source materials are paintings originally created from 1965 through
2007. The mosaic of modular parts seems to be the motif best suited for crossing borders
of media and expressing the greater view of my vision. There is a growing community of
artists who share the idea that time is a structural factor in art which should be
reconsidered. The inclusion of time has always been a concern for artists. The idea of
making it a formally recognized element is on-going. Part of my concept of art is art as
intentional artifact of its time. The Big Picture (Installation) was influenced by several art
viewing experiences. The world wide web provided frames of images which would shift
and offer new related or fragmented images. Sometimes the relationships were not
immediately clear. Both the web and the dynamic web-art works underlined multiple
points of view and glimpses through time. My need for a gathering up from many periods
into a larger vision reaching toward unity brings me to the present series of works
forming The Big Picture" and following Installations.
My love of color has a new freedom for discovery in these new worlds. The simple
statement of beauty is always the conductor for these orchestrations. You don't need to be
a rocket scientist to enjoy a sunset. If you are a rocket scientist, then you see how the
sunset works. In art the same is true. I am always gratified to hear that my art is enjoyed.
When a viewer feels they are connected to the vision in some way, I am assured that my
focus is successful on a human scale.
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