This painting, although already continued, was the first draft of a asymetric canvas painting. The frame and canvas have been put together by hand.
This painting has several themes conflicting with each other. It mainly started out as an exercise in mapping out my own work habits. This was to facilitate healthy and productive work habits, and to eliminate unhealthy ones. Putting the work in focus was important, but I have behaviors that make planning and finishing intricate tasks. To accept leaning into the uncertain nature of finishing an artwork, to be comfortable without socializing (i.e. ´getting distracted´), to honor the artwork with the time and dedication it deserves.
These are all central themes of this piece. It is the backdrop to my methods, mediums and rhythm. They dictate why I need to paint, why I need to break with the conventional square format, why I need the freedom to incorporate cardboard and elements drawing on the discipline of collaging.
The subject matter of the visual imagery included in the painting itself starts from the same place, but takes a different approach. Exploring the statement "People with frontal lobe damage resulting in mental illnesses are more likely to stay mentally sane through isolation". Ironically the statement does consider some forms of mental illnesses as other forms of being human, seeing how having a mental illness and ´staying´ mentally sane are directly opposed.
It also touches on the idea that through my own struggles with socialization and apparent need for it, through the start of the Covid pandemic I struggled very much through the week I used to adjust, but after seemed far more content with the lowered contact and keeping of strict routine and clearly communicated guidelines.
This work is my first attempt at a fully realized style of painting, one that is my own. A style that lends itself to continuous exploration, differentiating interests, a wide variety of practices, and facilitates my self-development and lends me the ability to learn new techniques.
It is freeing to think of any one part of the painting. The frame designed from scratch, the canvas that is dyed and embroidered, the paint that is carefully and sparingly placed on to test how acrylic paint works with untreated canvas, the cardboard put on top to easier try out new skillsets without risking the destruction of many hours of hard work.
To think of my own style of painting is to lend myself the ability to focus on any part of it. To truly bring it all together at the end of a process and create something that I am happy with. To create exiting paintings made in relation to a confusing world that seems constantly overloaded with things I should have been thinking about. This is where I get to think about the things I want and need to think about.
The works does take some time, so to keep people entertained I have uploaded some pictures of Work In Progress HERE!
The pictures were taken by @isaacrizell