New Abstract Contemporary Art Collage Painting #2

abstract2b-2016-blog

Click HERE to buy the original through Saatchi.

(Note: It says “not for sale” as my account is new and should be approved later today.)

Here’s the description I wrote for my Saatchi gallery:

Read Non-objective Abstract 1 first.

I decided to go a little smaller this time for #2–a standard 4″ x 4″ because I know you like those standard size frames ;-) The edges are interesting too, so you could float this and get creative with the framing.

Here’s a quick little story. I was leaving the library and somebody had donated their entire collection of WIRED magazines. Nobody wanted them, so I took the whole pile, knowing WIRED is full of electric colors and metallic ink–I’d have a lifetime supply of nerdy collage material. Besides making art, I’m nerdy, and first started reading WIRED around the time it first launched. This #2 is physically thinner because I’m using magazine pages this time, instead of postcards.

And this time I’m not using matboard. So it’s flimsy compared to . I suppose you could dry-mount it, but if I was going to frame it, I’d probably tape some foamboard to the back and float it, almost like a shadow box, so that the mats aren’t touching it, then you could see the edges.

I’m planning to make this a fairly large series. The texture is wild. I gave it an oil-based spray finish, so parts of it are shiny and you’re not really sure where the tape is this time, compared to . The WIRED magazine pages are really a pleasure to work with, I’m finding ways to manipulate them and my process is changing, both mechanically and in terms of absorption, effects with adhesive, tape, etc. I’m making process with my use of tape too. And in #2 I made a breakthrough in terms of cutting the paper–I’m using a glass cutter this time, which gives some of the edges a human touch, not just straight edges from scissors. I like to dig into my compositions–the glass cutter allows me to create grooves.

#2 has more color modulations than . The colors are more or less a similar value, so I’m playing with hues and intensity. There is a little bit of black paint in here, but not much. I’m mostly relying on the magazine pages, markers, pens and pastels for color.

Compositionally, I like that this has a similar character to , but I wasn’t looking at at all while making it. #2 also went through a lot of interesting transformation, whereas just came together effortlessly. The composition feels a little raw, yet complex enough that you could look at it for a long time, there’s a lot going on. Blending chaos and control. A lot of the shapes are physically wedged together and the thin magazine paper makes that easier to do. I think this could be made into a larger painting, if there’s any interest, let me know.

I’m pleased with #2 and I think it will grow on me even more over time.

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