A few Thoughts on Abstraction and layering… – *Updated 4/4/18
Update – The painting that I have used as an example in this writing has recently been completed. True to the layering process of automatism, it went through a number of transformations, some drastic and some subtle, before it was brought to conclusion. There are a number of element in the piece that teeter on the edge of representation, and the title of the piece indicates this objective recognition. Yet, it is still a piece that centers around composition and color form relationships above any narrative or representational elements. Below is the finished “surreal” composition, “Cyclops, Soldier, Serpent, and Jellyfish”
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original post –
10/12/17
I am working on a piece (in particular) that has helped to link and expound upon the idea of objectivity and subjectivity being connected through layering. Where the idea of a form or recognizable figure / symbol is found through abstraction and allowed to be built up without the prejudice of direct representational-ism. To say, abstraction can lead to recognizable “objects” that can be defined through continued abstract layering.
I lean towards fields of abstraction with certain defined or accentuated moments, large or small. My work usually, at this point, stays clear of the defined figure, portrait, symbol, story or image. If my abstract work hearkens anything, it might be some form(s) of field or space or landscape. But in this one small piece, an almost dancing like figure as appeared in the layering, without pretense or preconception. I do not wish to define it as a figure any more than it is at this time, but seeing that reiterated the possibilities of layered abstraction and representation for others who see the value of pursuing Art this way.
So often, an idea is illustrated with a focus being on a particular representation of that idea. It tends to leave the idea on the surface especially now when the nuances of 2D representational composition are limited by the depths of history. As I advocate painting of the Space Age, I focus on the layering of elements in a piece to create something that vibrates with the power of the layers that it is built upon. I believe it is a way to keep painting fresh, relevant, and that it opens doors for so many others on their own search for Art. And that means that it cannot by nature be limited to image-less abstraction, but invites the explorations of an evolved representational-ism.
In an earlier piece of mine, Green Dress, I explored this concept with circles and dots, more or less, lots and lots of them. The initial idea was always the figure, but the painting, the building, was abstract. It underwent many changes in the way the subject was represented, but was built up through the foundations of layering. When looking closely, one can see the circles in the dots, the waves and patterns of form and shape within the presentation of the image. And I believe it is important for an image or non/image work of Art to be built through strong network of compositional variables.
So often Art is still seen on the surface, for the image. I hope these and others’ explorations help to expose how much more there is to be seen.