Composing Chaos
Composing Chaos
In an abstract painting the greatest challenge is between decoration and meaning. Meaning can be found by pushing the bounds of familiarity. This can be done accidentally with trial and error or purposely by isolating and exploiting the formal ingredients in all Painting.
There are many definitions of chaos. Webster defines chaos as, “a state of things in which chance is supreme”.
A painting is a universe unto itself. All universes are subject to laws of physics. Art theories are the laws by which paintings evolve from chaos to composition.
Thomas Aquinas defined laws as “an order of practical reason.” In order for a painting to transcend from the decorative to the meaningful - from chaos to composition - certain laws must be understood and expressed consistently. This “order of practical reason" is what is seen in masterpieces from Lascaux to the work of Al Weiwei.
Art History chronicles the progression of understanding and the relative expression of the present. Awareness of history is awareness of self. It is your Self you put in your art. Knowledge of history - Art History - is knowledge of your place in the progression.
In this series of paintings I refer to as, “Composing Chaos”, I endeavor to contain the supremacy of chance with the laws of Theory and the knowledge of History. In visual terms the series depict circles blending to spheres and spheres blending to circles.This is a series of canvases roughly 36x48", 54x54", 84x70” and 34x70” in which I am attending to dimensions, maintaining a limited picture plane and color. I have found spheres and circles to offer a unique opportunity to use illusion to express depth and yet maintain a defined picture plane and "overall" composition.
In this series of paintings I refer to as, “Composing Chaos”, I endeavor to contain the supremacy of chance within the theories of Modern Art. as put forth by Chipp and Wolf.