Preliminary Survey Series

By combining a long-standing fascination with aerial photographs of the ruins of indigenous architecture with my own photographs of the surfaces of aging buildings and ruins in Italy I discovered the foundation for this series; a map of sorts. The palette I have developed evokes timelessness within the passing of time. I work with various kinds of drawing materials and paints, relying most heavily on modern-day acrylics.

On canvas and paper, with mixed media painting, drawing, and collage, remembered bits of photographs and ancient images reemerge. The focus is on emotional/spiritual content rather than scientifically accurate rendering, clearly referencing ways of creating that were practiced during the Byzantine Era and earlier. Recall of the distant past while incorporating modern materials becomes a catalyst. Out of the old emerges new space, new borders. It is during the final acts of layering, scraping, and painting that beauty and uncertainty appear in the midst of upheaval... noting what is still mysterious.