STATEMENT

My painting has evolved from my early roots in Abstract Expressionism and Action Painting to a way of painting that is systemic, grid based, and focused on painting as a construction that moves outward into the space. The way I work, the process and language that I have developed over many years, provide, for me, a stimulating and sometimes surprising outcome that contributes to the handmade quality and uniqueness of my work.

My goal in each work is to create a painting that has a strong physical presence as the painting projects and asserts itself off the wall. This is achieved by the physicality of the surface, the building up of layers, the opaque and metallic colors, the symmetry, repetition, pattern, and optical vibration, all of which are a part of an energy that is manifest in my work.

The underlying structure of the grid has defined the parameters of my painting since the mid 1970’s and the ideas that I explore in my paintings are progressive, one group of work leading to another. Process has always been a central focus. I am interested in the way I make the painting, how the elements of the painting interact with each other, and how parts of the painting are hidden and revealed. There is always an aspect that is unanticipated and I am sometimes surprised and stimulated by the visual effects that are not absolutely predictable.

The paintings address formal issues; combinations of similar and varying elements within specific compositional structures. They are constructions, not descriptions. I am continually manipulating the elements in each work to produce a unique visual statement. Predominantly, the diamond shape has become the means by which I establish the anchor of each new work. The unique surface which I achieve is rich with color and texture and often appears to be carved. Additionally, there is an optical effect, a sense of movement or vibration, which can change in different light, adding to the unique visual quality of my work.