PAINTING
With abstract painting, I feel it is necessary to give the viewer a way into the image. In my abstract landscape series, that way in is sometimes a horizon line. It’s recognizable. There’s an above and below. Giving the viewer a frame of reference like this allows them to then explore the piece, often finding familiarity with the image, sometimes recognizing a place from their own past, finding beauty in the environment. If you can capture a viewer’s attention this way, you might be able to lead them further in, to the subtleties beneath the surface or to the subtext of the work.
An example of this is the diptych, Incoming, shown in my samples. This large painting began as an abstraction of the interstate network leading into the city of New Orleans. While painting this piece, a neighbor of mine, who is a Vietnam War veteran, commented that the lights along the interstate could at times cause him to have flashbacks to his wartime experience. His descriptions lead me in a new direction and created a challenge—how could I present both the beauty and awfulness of the moments my neighbor described in a way that was relatable to an audience.
An example of this is the diptych, Incoming, shown in my samples. This large painting began as an abstraction of the interstate network leading into the city of New Orleans. While painting this piece, a neighbor of mine, who is a Vietnam War veteran, commented that the lights along the interstate could at times cause him to have flashbacks to his wartime experience. His descriptions lead me in a new direction and created a challenge—how could I present both the beauty and awfulness of the moments my neighbor described in a way that was relatable to an audience.
