Thursday, May 26, 2011

Destructive Beauty

Here are three new paintings, I just finished.  I'm working on a few others and will post pictures soon. 



A friend has recently been asking a lot about the drips in my work. 

I usually answer by saying "the drips allow me to have a more open mind.  Working with turpentine washes allows me to view the image as imperminent and gives me the freedom to make changes.  Also, puting a wash over the whole piece provides a consistancy and unity throughout the image." 

I might also say, "What is the difference between a brush stroke and a drip?  I'm simply letting the paint do what it does naturally."  I see this as a very Bauhausian idea; exploring what the medium is capable of.

I am extremely aware of the fact that people will read into the drips and think they are representative of some bigger idea and I am very wary of this.  But there is no denying that the drips provide a mood.  This mood, I have realized, is one of Destructive Beauty.  I am fascinated with factories, oil rigs, and cities.  I see them as powerful destructive forces and I see their destructive power as sad yet beautiful.

The piece below, does a good job at expressing this feeling.

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