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| Artist Statement |
FOR THE PAST ELEVEN YEARS I’VE BEEN WORKING ON A SERIES OF PAINTINGS THAT ARE NOT ONLY EXCITING AND UNIQUE IN THEIR VISUAL DIALOGUE WITH THE VIEWER BUT ARE IMPORTANT IN THE FACT THAT THESE PAINTINGS THEMSELVES ARE MADE ENTIRELY OUT OF ACRYLIC MATERIALS. THESE PAINTINGS ARE NOT PAINTED ON CANVAS, LINEN, PAPER, WOOD, GLASS, ETC., FOR SUPPORT. INSTEAD I PAINT LAYER AFTER LAYER OF ACRYLIC COLORED GESSO,USE REGULAR ACRYLIC GESSO IN THE MIDDLE OF EACH PAINTING TO GIVE IT SOME THICKNESS FOR STABILITY, UNTIL THE PAINTING IS FINISHED. WHEN THE PAINTING IS DRY I PEEL THE PAINTING OFF THE PLASTIC MOUNTED TO THE WALL, GROMMET THE PAINTING AND THE WORK IS READY TO BE HUNG. THIS MAY BE A BIT MUCH FOR THE TECHNICAL EXPLANATION, BUT IT’S VERY CRUCIAL TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THESE WORKS.
THERE IS SO MUCH SUBTLETY TO THESE PAINTINGS. THE SURFACE TEXTURE ALONE IS AMAZING, RESEMBLING THE HIDES OF EXOTIC ANIMALS. THESE PAINTINGS TRANSFORM THEMSELVES DEPENDING ON THE LIGHT SOURCE USED TO ILLUMINATE THEM. THEY CAN AT THE EXACT SAME MOMENT BE IRIDESCENT, TRANSLUCENT OR OPAQUE. I HAVE FOUND THIS APPROACH TO PAINTING LIBERATING BECAUSE I’M NOT CONFINED TO THE TRADITIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS LIKE CANVAS, LINEN, PAPER, WOOD, GLASS, ETC., OR THE SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR FORMAT BECAUSE THESE PAINTINGS CAN BE OF ANY SIZE OR SHAPE. THIS TECHNIQUE ALLOWS ME TO REDEFINE FOR MYSELF THE QUESTION[S], WHAT CONSTITUTES THE DEFINITION OF PAINTING IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY? AND IS THIS QUESTION REALLY VALID ANYMORE? DOES PAINTING HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO SAY ABOUT ANYTHING? I BELIEVE IT DOES AND I BELIEVE THAT THESE PAINTINGS HELP PUSH FORWARD THE DIALOGUE IN ATTEMPTING TO REDEFINE THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF CONTEMPORARY PAINTING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ALREADY MENTIONED PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF THESE PAINTINGS, THERE IS A SPIRITUAL ASPECT AS WELL. FOR THE PAST DECADE ONE OF THE MAIN IDEAS I’VE DEALT WITH IN MY WORK HAS TO DO WITH MY OWN JOURNEY IN UNDERSTANDING THE SPIRITUAL WITHIN AND WITHOUT. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF MY GOALS TO NOT ONLY FIND MY OWN HARMONY AND BALANCE IN LIFE BUT TO DO SO THROUGH MY WORK. THESE CURRENT PIECES REFLECT MY COMING TO A MORE MATURE AND CONTEMPLATIVE STAGE IN LIFE. IN ESSENCE THESE PAINTINGS HAVE TAKEN ON A LIFE OF THEIR OWN. THEY SEEM TO TRANSCEND TIME AND SPACE IN WHATEVER ENVIRONMENT THEY OCCUPY.
IT IS MY CONVICTION THAT THESE PAINTINGS ARE NOT ONLY VISUALLY AND EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL BUT VITAL AND IMPORTANT FOR THEY ARE PART OF THE CONTINUING STORY OF CONTEMPORARY PAINTING. THEY ARE UNIQUE ENOUGH IN THEIR USE OF MATERIAL, IMAGERY AND INTENTION TO WARRANT FURTHER EXPOSURE, DISCUSSION AND UNDERSTANDING.
DAN GOLDBERG |
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