“Contour” series, acrylic skins collage on canvas board,  (July 2022).

 

From the dark, bold, and viscous depths, contrasting subtle textured surfaces and mark-making layers transform my collection of collages into the realm of the sculptural. These monochromatic and minimalist color works become a visual manifestation of the influential nature of the art I witnessed in Vietnam on my most recent journey, from the post-modern sculptures to the traditional paintings that graced the halls of the nation’s museums. I transformed my acrylic skin pours into geometric, abstract, and organic arrangements in an intuitively fluid process that grew and evolved until I witnessed the final image come to life. While an amalgamation of forms, shapes, colors, and patterns, they combine into a cohesive structure, a series of abstractions that are now teetering on the figurative. To finish each piece, I apply multiple layers of professional acrylic gels and varnishes reminiscent of the lacquer on classic paintings. Here, a tension arises as this series of works push and pulls between the two-dimensional and the sculptural.