2/26/15
MAPPING – I realize now, the works in progress and the frustration of illusionary space and physical space I was struggling to develop in the series “Everything Has Strings” is in the process of being actualized in the new burlap paintings currently in-progress in the studio.
Not only do these paintings satisfy an exploration of surface (painted) line, they also explore the physical/dimensional sewn line. The painted line reminds me of rivers and land divisions in a map, or like those from aerial/plane view. They are an open-ended shape-on-shape delineation.
The series “Those Closed Shapes” explored an obsession with subjective contour completion in which shapes had to have closed ends, and had the feel of continuous and fluid motion; circular motion of closed shapes. This new series (Everything Has Strings), is an exploration of line as the continuous open shape; either never-ending or abruptly ending. Floating on the surface, it’s shallow physical tension in relation to its inherent river and map-like connotations, which adversely involves marks beneath the earth’s surface (as a river bed cut into the earth). I want the rivers or maybe more so mountain ranges/cliffs, to be accentuated. They compete with the still organic but more mechanical yarn/sewn additions. They will continue to compete where there is an addition of bold, architectural marks, playing on the burlap bags original utilitarian purpose.
Kal L. Cloonan 