Title

Exploration in oil painting and charcoal drawing

 

Date of Award

1993

 

Document Type

seniorscholars

 
 

Department

Colby College. Art Dept.

 

Advisor(s)

Nancy Goetz

 

Abstract

My first artistic inspirations were dressed in formal attire. Painting from direct

observation I developed. a deep interest in the creation of illusory three-dimensional space. I

specifically was interested in how light, color, and composition manipulated space. The

subject matter in these studies consisted of landscapes, figures, and interiors.

My work started to change when I began to view my formal training in realism as a

tool with which to express ideas rather than as an end in its own. In the fall of 1991 I

attended the San Francisco Art Institute. It was an ideal arena in which to explore this

creative expression. The content of this work addressed constructions of stability within close

personal relationships. Formally, this work continued with my figurative and spatial

concerns but departed from direct observation as my sole artistic source. Although these

works displayed deeper levels of thought and solid technical facility, the lack of integration

between the content and the formal aspects of this work left room for future growth.

This year I have departed from the controlled and illustrative work I completed at the

San Francisco Art Institute. The new images result from a higher level of risk taking enabling

greater artistic growth. The progression within my work during this time reflects my serious

questioning of my analytic and logical thinking which has been reinforced by a scientifically oriented family and scientific educational background. By diminishing the role of realism and literal depiction of imagery, room was made for invention and intuition in my work.

This shift in emphasis promoted an inward examination of a deeper and more effective

nature.

The transformation in my creative intent was accompanied by formal developments in

the work. The embryonic stages of this growth first occurred in the paintings, where an

explorative series of charcoal drawings provided the backbone for development. Thebalance between abstract and representational imagery, strong linear elements, the layering

of multiple images, and ambiguity in spatial relationships are all important in this new work.

The interaction of these elements offers a direct challenge to traditional methods of

constructing space. The ensuing complexity of visual imagery reflects the complexity of the

content of the work.

The series of charcoal drawings stands on its own, but its original function was to

promote rapid growth and change in a medium that is both facile and was new to me. These

works enabled me to return to painting at a different point from which I departed. The new

paintings suggest a maturation of ideas as well as formal ability that resulted from the

charcoal drawings. The content of the most recent work evinces my current personal and

academic interests in relationships among men, homophobia, and the redefinition of

masculinity. The work of John Stoltenberg, Refusing to be a Man, as well as the work of

feminist writers has been informative and inspirational in this process. Literary sources,

experiences in my personal life, and the work itself are crucial to the evolution of my artistic

vision. My paintings and drawings serve as working spaces in which to explore questions

rather than articulate answers.

 

Keywords

Painting, Charcoal drawing

 

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