 |
| Sailing the Acheron (2008) oil, spraypaint, and rope on canvas. 36 x 27 in |
 |
| Roped (1999), oil and rope on canvas. 36 x 27 in |
Last year, before full time grad school started, I found one week to paint. The prior year had been a busy one, forcing me to neglect the art studio. I needed a canvas, so I scoured the basement. I uncovered a bunch of older work, covered in plaster, dust, and dirt. They didn’t look too good. I thought of resurrecting them, giving them makeovers, injecting life into their yellow and crusty corners. I do not throw art away. I will carelessly destroy it by having too much of it and relegating it to a damp unsavory home, but I would never throw it away. I found
Roped (1999).
When I originally made the stretcher, I pulled the canvas too tight. After applying gesso, the frame warped. Instead of fighting it, I decided to accentuate the unnatural bend in the frame. I ripped holes in the canvas and weaved rope thru the holes, wrapping it around the injured wood, binding it up. Now it looked as if I meant to warp the wood. The painting is now entitled Sailing the Acheron (August 2008). While the original is an atmospheric, minimalist use of spray paint and oil stains, the recent incarnation is quite the opposite. It is a celebration of color and texture.
