Conversation Piece #46, My Horse Died
detail E. Hopper -Nighthawk Cafe Man, 2002
Mixed Media: Collage with acrylic paint, pastels,and objects on paper
Size: 32"wide x 38" height
american conservatory theaterexhibits@ACT
COLLAGE / CONVERSATION PIECES
For my collages I use the form of graphic dialog between myself and an Icon (central image). It might be an Art Historical icon (famous painting) or purely contemporary, as the Parking Meter. While I am working I hear things. The quieter I am during work the louder the conversation is. It could be from an artist of the past, i.e. Leonardo Da Vinci, or the subject of the painting, i.e. Mona Lisa, or from a current event such as getting a ticket (Parking Meter). I write what ever I hear around the borders of the image as I am working.
Along with the bits of conversations, I frame the image with bits and pieces of fragments of my everyday life, like advertisements, newspaper clippings, off-hand remarks, unpaid bills, prescription drugs, objects found or bought. As I work the conversation narrows down and takes form. I never start with an idea about what it is about, I always let the conversations guide me.
Many of my works deal with things in my life, such as, overwhelming bills, relationships, food, possessions, etc. Many also are about identity. How I see myself, how men view women or women view men. These are on the surface while in the juxtaposition of Icon and object or clipping, deeper things such as love, fragility, desire, despair, loss, grief, joy are felt and recorded. I find humor in this juxtaposition, and humor for me is a way to face difficult things.
FIGURE PAINTING
I paint the human form because it is one of the most challenging things to do. Sometimes these paintings are complete in themselves . At other times I will take the painting I have done and push it or use it as a preliminary painting to find something else. Something that I saw in my minds eye while working. I use the figure with oil paint on board in a process that allows me to get beyond the details and search for something more interesting. As I work the process gives me time to recognize deeper feelings through paint, color, marks, etc. This happens during the process. I don't plan out ahead of time, I like to discover as I work. I work very broadly in the beginning and narrow down as I go along, scraping, moving, enlarging, shrinking, selecting, deleting, modifying color etc.