Gaping Maw 11/22/2023
Convulsive, Cathartic Exorcism
There is a certain kind of painting that I believe can only be manifested while I am completely alone. This work is created not only isolated from the presence of other people but also isolated from my own sense of sound and sight. Only in the absence of others can I have minimal inhibitions and be the most honest Painter humanly possible. The honest self is my true reality in that others’ gazes inhibits my knee-jerk reactions and often forces me to curb my most genuine instincts. While constructing these works, my observational skills should be limited to the intimate, tactile relationship between my body and the canvas. These paintings serve no depth beyond the narrative of its conception. To imply that something should be present, or that there was a specific intention for a particular form, would be dishonest to this painting. The relationship between me and the painting should be intimate and immediate. It is during this isolated painting session that I feel an intensely cathartic energy that generates from my mind into my physical body and out onto the canvas. It is for these reasons that I feel obligated to approach my work with the serious intention of focusing on paintings that are only possible when there is a critical lack of inhibitions. There are, of course, still predetermined boundaries that ultimately decide certain aspects of the work before the creation process even begins. Boundaries such as the physical shape of the painting along with the medium being subjugated to a particular space on the canvas. I choose to have these pieces exist as paint applied to raw canvas with the intention of creating a conventional painting that does not question the arbitrary aspects of the rectangle. The intention is to relocate the material to its confined space so that it may function as a plastic vessel for interpretation. I am constantly asking myself questions about if any of this is working or if I am even making “Art”. The plan is to iterate on this process until I feel that I am consistently successful in making work that is obviously created by a conscious and corporeal presence.