THE STRING PAINTINGS
The line has always been a constant element in my art.
With this new work, I use a string as the line and by soaking the string
in paint before applying it to paper or canvas I can record its performance.
I am amazed by the personality of the string as a tool for
painting. It enables me to express
all of the emotion and force of a gesture as I throw it across the paper or
canvas and let it drop in loops and meandering lines before throwing it again.
I can control the string, but only to a degree.
Its intrinsic properties are a strong element in the visual record of my
actions.
Sometimes the initial string gesture is enough to create a
finished painting, but often I subtract or edit lines, sculpting spaces and
clarifying forms. It is a bit like
pruning a plant. The challenge is
to take away all but the essential in order to strengthen the painting by
reinforcing its content and personality.