WOW, THE OPENING OF THIS SHOW COULDN’T HAVE BEEN BETTER. HERE IS MY STATEMENT OF THE SHOW AND SOME IMAGES OF THE NEW WORK.
While creating this body of work, I ran out of my prescription for anti-depressants, which I have come to rely on to regulate my experience of depression. I couldn’t get more for a month. Simply stated, without this prescription, I am easily overwhelmed and anxious. I felt my place among the generations of creators who have struggled with chemical imbalance, and feared that my disquiet would get in the way of completing this show. I discovered instead that my work has always been a medicine, and once again it offered up a perspective that I had yet to explore.
“Bodies of Light” is a logical expression of what I love about painting. It is familiar to me. Fluid, colorful, three-dimensional, evoking images of color and light. These qualities are simultaneously meditative and invigorating, representing a more fully realized vision of my experience of painting.
To create this work, I painted on glass and Lucite, enveloping pigment between layers of epoxy. This technique mimics the way traditional oil painters use glazes to permeate the paintings with more light. I have left translucent edges to create a visual floatation of the paintings, and utilized custom hangers that push the ethereal composition further, physically lifting the pieces from the wall.
Each painting undergoes phases in which pigment is embedded within the epoxy. The optical depth created by this technique invites the viewer to explore the complexity, range and interconnectedness of those layers. This is what life is. We live with, and within layers, each experience layered upon others. The creation of this work demanded that I experience my layers in a new, and profound way, and helped me to understand the creative process more deeply. The physical practice of creating these images served as a touchstone to a personal place of peace. This work is my medicine. I hope these paintings provide a place of respite for those who come here to look at the art, as they have for me.