Urban Landscape no. 54

Description

My art is a combination of drawing, painting and sculpting. The imagery comes from long-standing commitments to modernist conventions. The simplistic forms are an attempt to tap into the memories and ideas we all share.  I’ve found my minimalist designs appeal to people on a primitive level.

I spent three years in the Northwest working various jobs and searching for my art form. When I moved to Tainan City, Taiwan I found an art form that truly appealed to my creative side.  While in Taiwan I studied art, specifically Chinese landscape painting and calligraphy, but more importantly I learned how to mount works on paper for scrolls and shoji screens. With this skill the I was able to stretch and manipulate paper in ways very few people can. Almost instantly I began creating art using these techniques. The discoveries I made in Tainan during those years made all of his future work possible.

The Urban Landscape series is an aerial perspective of city blocks that is a visual play on open space and buildings.  When the image is turned on its side the small squares and rectangles become windows and doors, an opening into urban living.

The artwork is done with handmade paper made of cotton, mulberry and straw is stretched on large 4×8 boards. Medium body acrylics are used to texture the surface. Each shape is then cut freehand giving the piece’s crisp edges as well as organic character. Wheat paste that is shipped from Japan in a powder form, is boiled down with water and then pushed through a horse hair strainer to remove all fine lumps. The glue is then applied with a wide brush to the back of each piece and placed on the artwork making sure that all excess glue and bubbles are removed between each application. This technique is only known by a handful of artisans in the United States and traditionally used to restore antique shoji screens and scrolls.

The artwork includes wire in the back for hanging.