So I built two panels, each 40x40 inches. I figured I would complete them simultaneously. Maybe they could be two sides of a dialogue. Just two perspectives from like-minded individuals...ergh, kinda. Here’s what happened...
So I got what I wanted with these two perspectives for sure. They felt a little different from one another at the start, but I rolled with it. Perhaps they would return to one another like star-crossed lovers. Nope. These two did not just have different upbringings, they hold divergent philosophical worldviews.
Each were deliberate, though not in the same way. One was done in no time while the other was labored. The dashed piece is the result of explorations into semiotics and sign, thus the iconic appearance. It was intended to be what the viewer sees. The work to develop the image was all done before the paint hit the panel. The piece with circles was more of a leisurely stroll with intriguing imagery inside of a defined space and is more the evidence of time and action, thus indexical.
That these two went in opposite directions is intriguing to me. Hindsight is often the most informative perspective as I discover what is happening beyond the creative act. With these pieces I have created examples of two lines of inquiry which I explore. Coincidentally, I have also been deliberating the value of each approach; weighing which to spend more time endeavoring.
The circles are indicative of process; a repeated motif executed within set parameters that dictate the unfolding of the piece. This method is my attempt to create art positioned at the intersection of the laws of the nature and rules of man. You know, the old chaos working within confines. My earliest approach to this was deploying an asymmetrical composition inside of a square. I held the harnessing of a natural flow as the highest form of art creation for myself and I established practices that ensured outcomes to fit my expectations. The pattern ran deep, and there was some success in this approach. In time, I realized this was only a practice which indicated itself.
The iconic piece is more representative of how I am working these days. I am intentionally creating these recent pieces about sign as access points for the viewer. The hard edged imagery is presented in a format that plays on the everyday visual experiences people have reading icons and symbols. A funny twist is that these symbols and icons are themselves the result of a process, often derived from previous images.
I guess it was inevitable that two such paintings would be pitted against one another in my studio. I have developed a practice of remaining open to inspiration from wherever it comes, so I logically have to accept an offer and see it through. But the amount of labor of the piece with the circles. My god, I just wanted it to be done!
So maybe that’s today’s lesson: finish it and move on.