Proposal for Force Field
© 2014
Location: in the studio
I have been producing a series of expressionist paintings depicting tightly cropped views of reflections on water. These paintings present multiple viewpoints of the surface of water on individual sheets of plexiglass, which are then layered together and lit from behind in light boxes. This technique tackles the visual contradiction of surface flatness and depth inherent in depictions of water by being both literally flat on each layer and literally deep in their combination. The change in time between each individual panel suggests the movement naturally found in bodies of water as a viewer interacts and moves around the combined work, and metaphorically speaks of the passage of time itself.
For Forcefield, I would like to expand this series to fit the cavernous space available by working on large sheer veils of fabric in addition to the plexiglass boxes. These veils will be exhibited hanging from the ceiling down nearly to the floor, lined up like slices of bread in a toast rack. Each veil will have a slightly different rendering of the reflection or, in some cases, the chiarascuro of the rippling of the water. The transparency of the veils will create changing composite images as a viewer moves through the space with just enough room between them so that each image can be seen for itself or transparently multiply onto the next, creating an installation where movement will choreograph an ever-changing montage. The changing daylight coming through the windows could create additional variations while also reinforcing the metaphorical time in the content of the work.
