Behind This Ripening

Behind this ripening

1990-1991

A series of fifteen paintings utilizing three dimensional "underpaintings" and the human form as a map for “organic” objects in narration.

 CT Herbal Institute

1991 University of Connecticut, West Hartford campus- Solo show

1990 Behind this ripening - Bard College 

Artist Statement

We are of mythological consequence. We have the abilities to tap into a stream of consciousness and work with it. The result issues from divine intervention or from a genuine archetypal discovery. The discovery is made possible in the process of painting through the creative imagination. Painting makes use of the creative imagination, not mere fantasy. The creative imagination is the link between our ”reality” and the spiritual or primordial world. It is the force behind the universe, behind our cognition. It is the unified perception of instinct and the essence of humanity. From time to time, one gets inklings or hints of this super sensible perception.

My attempts have been to trace the thought or hint and look for its origin. From looking in or back on our thoughts, it is possible to be there at the spark of a new thought before it gets tainted by our dualistic perceptions and experiences. That is, we must first recognize it before attaching all the mental baggage acquired throughout our lives.

I feel it is important to have a good sense of ethics and truthfulness (not lying to oneself) in order to create a truthful and ethical piece. I say truthful and ethical because I feel the artist has a responsibility, not only to herself but also to the audience. When I paint, I try to portray the existent new realm in everyday life. Unfortunately, our everyday lives have shrunk our capacity for appreciating the purpose and existence of "God". Art serves the same purpose as "God", but we have lost our faith and, thus, the spiritual in art. One begins to produce "flat art" and "flat God". It is our responsibility to be truthful to the audience and thus retain or revive the spirit in our work.

The shapes I choose to put in my paintings are not arbitrary. They each have a purpose and life of their own. I use the figure as the body which contains individualized working "parts". The subject which these figures present gives the "parts" a direction. The individual parts are luxuriously bright and pure in color. They have an illusionistic three-dimensional quality. They are sensual, ahistorical, cooperative entities woven in such a way as to imply a figurative existence. Again, the figure is used to bring the parts together. The setting is deep blue and atmospheric, suggesting a place which is both recognizable and unfamiliar. It is in this space that another existence is operating. It is of the same nature, but is left unpainted within the blue space and is virtually invisible. These events or existences interact with the brightly colored objects, but the colored objects are unaware of their presence, though they may occupy the same space. I make the "presence" known to the viewer by using the modelling parts to build up an actual (as opposed to illusory) three dimensional event. This three-dimensional, spiritual world behind the illusory phenomena is in fact more real and aware than our perceptions.