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“Conception”, Oil on Panel, 20.5″ x 26.15″ (52 x 66.4 cm), 2010

It is not necessary for you to like my work. I myself don’t always like it. The content of  a painting such as, “Conception”, is an expression of my feelings through a process of elucidation of abstract forms and spontaneous visions into tangible composition that is representational, that is to say, is composed of recognizable visual elements.  I could just leave the work in a state of pure abstraction, but that would not be satisfying to me because I like to depict actual things, however peculiar they may be.  Yet, the representational forms you see have no more specific meaning then the splatters in a Jackson Pollack painting, although they may, superficially, appear to show a scene or tell a story. As I am making a painting I am continuously evaluating the forms for “power”, i.e.; their ability to provoke an emotional and intellectual response.  I have very little direct emotional involvement with the content myself, and I do not necessarily paint things that I like, enjoy, or approve of in life, rather I am like a medium and the images are like utterances from my trance. For these reasons the “meaning” of the painting can be a surprise to me, and I often find myself no more insightful than any other viewer.  It is similar to a dream in so much as the dream seems to have its own creator that is independent of the dreamer’s conscious mind, and so dreams may be not merely foreign, but downright disagreeable – their meaning always open to interpretation.   So, it is not important what I personally think of “Conception” (or any other work of mine) – others will like the painting very much whether I do or not.  The painting has been carefully made to an exacting standard of craftsmanship, so that it may survive for many centuries to come.   I am not making this artwork specifically for the present day, so I often ask myself when making a painting, “Could a person viewing it 100 or more years before my time understand what they are looking at?” or “Could a tribesman in the jungles of New Guinea appreciate it?” , “Would an extraterrestrial take it as a souvenir  of their visit to Earth?” if the answer to questions such as these is, “yes”, than I believe I am closer to making something of universal interest that will be of lasting value.

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“Conception”, like Chemical Imbalance, was essentially an improvisation.  There was little or nothing in the way of preparatory sketches  (Documentation of the process can be found here.), and, indeed, I view it as a further elaboration of themes explored in Chemical Imbalance.  Specifically it is cause and effect, action and reaction, but here man-made glass has been substituted for the translucent pulchritude of the Jellyfish.  The Jellyfish, for me represents primeval life, denizens of the Cambrian depths of prehistoric seas, and, it seems, the  likely inheritors of wasted oceans that through pollution and resulting ecological imbalance might become bacterial slime pits resplendent with scintillating Medusozoa.  Enthralled in these metaphoric tendrils are human thoughts and feelings trapped in time like insects in amber.  Lust and anger undulate with sensual intertwinings in an intoxicated dance of self-destruction.

• Part of the “Series I” limited edition prints:

“Series I” prints are made by the artist, the signed and numbered prints are limited to 100.

The print area of “Comception” measures 12″ h x 15.25 v” (30.5 x 46 cm). The original painting was executed in oil upon a panel and measures 20.5″ x 26.15″ (52 x 66.4 cm). The print is 58.5% of the original size.

For technical details of the print click here

Conception
Series I Print (13 x 19 in), 310 GSM Watercolor Paper, Signed Limited Edition of 100
Price: 35.00 Shipping: 10.00