Framing Time

What was, what is, and that which is beginning to scratch the surface of what can be. This is the structure of Framing Time. Pondering the imponderable such as the examination of space and time are major influences in my artwork. The paradox of an ever-receding line of knowledge of the cosmos is a focal point for this show with my concept narrowing more recently to how we as humans perceive time. Time is malleable; it can be stretched and it can be compressed depending upon the force of gravity. The rationale of how we view time is contingent on the consistency of the axis and orbital rotations of our tiny home in a presumably infinite empty, suspended in a sunbeam. Art is about the human experience and what is more human than contemplating one’s own existence in time and space?

This show is a linear progression with my concept honing from the wonder of what was to the romanticizing of what could, and time’s role in it all. How one depicts the infinitely invisible in a visible finite form is an issue I grapple with. The organic layering of vague shapes and lines, in my work, has been a continuously evolving route. During my process of making there are certain results looking to be executed. Through this process of execution, the nuances and identity of the material seep in, strengthening the feelings of time and visualizing the infinite. This is apparent in my most recent work with the Fragmented Time Studies, dealing with how nature documents time, and the abstract ink on coated carton paper. The cosmos is not ridged, as a whole it flows and moves and evolves. I view my work not about making pictures but rather an abstract depiction of an internal landscape exploring the paradox of our line of knowledge, time, and space, with every micro-area of my surfaces holding something to discover. Artist Joseph Cornell had quoted T.S. Eliot saying, “time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future, and time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present, all time is unredeemable.” The cosmos has evolved to the point to become aware of itself, study itself, even create art about itself. We’re all made of star stuff.

Artist Statement

Pondering the imponderable, such as the examination of space and time is a major influence upon my artwork. With our knowledge of the cosmos growing each day, every mystery solved only surfaces more questions. This paradox of an ever-receding line of knowledge can create powerful romantic notions of possibilities, positive and negative. The infinite possibilities of the cosmos inspire the imagery in my work, balancing between the discernable and the vague in an attempt not to undermine the concept’s potential. This omission of a narrative is done so with the goal of evoking a sense of wonder and curiosity with an engulfing intimacy. Engulfing because of the unfathomable vastness of everything we know and intimate from knowing our atoms came from out there. Art is about the human experience and what is more human than contemplating one’s own existence?

I’m drawn to this concept because of how humbling of an experience astronomy can be, revealing our insignificance. Painting connects with me romantically; the process, the feel, and the smells. The gestural and spherical forms in my work are conscious choices to reinforce these concepts. The cosmos is not ridged, as a whole it flows and moves and evolves, and the sphere is one of the most fundamentally basic forms. I view my painting as not about making pictures but rather an abstract depiction of an internal landscape exploring the paradox of our line of knowledge, with every micro-space of my surfaces holding something to discover.  The cosmos has evolved to the point to become aware of itself, study itself, even create art about itself. We’re all made of star stuff.