Artist’s Statement

 

I began this series of paintings in 2018, just a few weeks after retiring from teaching. Little did I know at the time that my solo show, scheduled for May of 2020, would be postponed for a year and a half while the country went on “Pause.” How ironic that the show is entitled “Upon Reflection,” since the eighteen months or so have allowed us all plenty of time to do nothing but reflect. This additional time for reflection also enabled me to complete several more pieces for the show, and they are among my favorites.

The word “reflection” serves as a double meaning here: not only did the hours upon hours of time spent in my work encourage me to do a great deal of ruminating, but the reflective elements used in the paintings (metallic paints, high gloss enamel, or gloss varnish) against non-reflective, matte surfaces provide a certain contrast. Consequently, point of view plays an important role in viewing these pieces. Because of the reflective surfaces and the play of light, two people may simultaneously experience the same piece differently, depending on their particular vantage point.

In many of the works, a regimented geometry plays out against a more spontaneous, intuitive background, offering yet another form of contrast. In some pieces, I’ve incorporated some visual motifs from post-retirement/pre-pandemic travels to Santiago and New York City.

It is my hope that as you view these pieces, you experience their contemplative nature, and that you can appreciate them from your own individual vantage point, and in your own unique light.