EVIDENCE OF THE SUBLIME: VEILS, PATTERNS, MYSTERIES (2017)
What began as an investigation of processes and materials has morphed into a series of deeply personal visual metaphors that attempt to express evidence of a spiritual presence. For me, these mixed media collages transcend the simple beauty of disrupted ink washes and graphite suspended in water to represent reflections upon aspects of the sublime. Each piece is a meditation on the layers of meaning to be found in the everyday, veiled messages floating beneath the surface of existence, the profound, barely discernible patterns that organize the universe and connect all things.
This work has led me to reflect as well on the interplay between intention and chance through the patterns that emerge when pieces of independently created abstractions are aligned into one collaged composition. The ethereal, cloud-like forms created by the ink and graphite washes and the translucent layering made possible by the Yupo and Duralene grounds form intricate, flowing compositions that suggest vast geographies seen from above.
This largely monochromatic series is my most current work and is ongoing. It is a progression from two earlier series titled Pathways (2015) and Lines (2016). Pathways was an expression of my enduring interest in geography and the concept of wayfinding. In the Lines series, I continued to develop a visual vocabulary that attempts to express the concept of travel through both space and time. The current series revisits these ideas, using imagery that suggests mapping as well as patterns created from seemingly disparate forms.
On a technical level, the Layers, Mysteries, Similarities series represents multiple strands of an ongoing investigation into the visual possibilities of applying graphite, acrylic ink and India ink washes to Yupo and Duralene, two synthetic polypropylene papers. In the Patterns series, the compositions flow horizontally, one piece leading to the next. The Veils series, on the other hand, is created by superimposing several translucent pieces. The Mysteries series is made up of pieces of treated Yupo that emerged through the cutting and matching process.
Diverse influences have contributed to my work, including Marcel Duchamp (chance versus intent), Wassily Kandinsky (the spiritual in art), Christian Marclay (collage), Pat Steir (poured line and color), and Ingrid Calame (layered, abstracted line taken from the environment). My intent with this series is to allow the viewer to interpret the images independently, perhaps enjoying them simply for their visual qualities.