A Summer Deviation Within Round Dance
This summer, a new branch of paintings began to evolve from two of my series, Round Dance and Landscape. For now, I have kept these works within the Round Dance section. There are not yet enough paintings for them to exist as an independent series, but more importantly, I feel that they still belong to the painterly logic of Round Dance, even though their connection to dance is less direct.
My visual language within a series is never completely fixed. Change is almost always present, but it happens within the particular logic of the series. I move within a spectrum of movement and stillness, the minimal and the intense, blurred edges and radical contrasts. I like to experiment. I have never tried to fix my style, but instead follow the logic of the medium, the genre, and the inner necessity of each work, if I may say so.
One deviation within Round Dance brought to life a few still solos, such as Girl with Ukulele and The Bride. The figure is no longer exactly dancing or moving. She is in a state of pause or rest. Still, these paintings remain connected to Round Dance through the particular presence of the figure and the possibility of movement held within that stillness.
Girl with Ukulele The Bride
Later in the process, I began placing this stillness, or small gestural presence, within a landscape. This created an unexpected meeting between two long-running directions in my work. The figure remains distinct, but its pause now exists inside the movement of the surrounding landscape.
This new direction can be seen in paintings such as Figure in Landscape No.3 and Figure in Landscape No.1. I am still discovering what this meeting of figure and landscape may become. For now, these paintings feel like a new branch growing from Round Dance, rather than a separate series.
Figure in Landscape No. 3 Figure No. 1
These works have become an important part of my painting this summer. I invite you to see them in person at Art Explosion Fall Open Studios, September 11–13, at 2425 17th Street in San Francisco. My studio is Studio 25.
The opening reception is Friday, September 11, from 7–10 pm. Open Studios continues Saturday and Sunday, September 12–13, from 12–5 pm. I would be very happy to see you there.
At Open Studios, I will also show paintings and xylography from my Boats series, along with a selection of earlier works. Below is a small preview.
Boats No. 31 Boats No. 25
Boats No. 5 Boats No. 1
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