This project initially started because I wanted to get rid of things in my apartment. I tend to hold onto old sketches and paintings for extended periods of time. And so, I decided to look through my past work and separate what I could be kept or discarded. It was through this exercise that I uncovered a new approach to my practice.
During the editing process, I gravitated towards the geometric elements and was ready to move on from the typographic paintings. Reflecting on my work, I still valued a graphic minimalism but acknowledge that I wanted to bring more depth to the conceptual flatness. While I thought about this, I decided to take the process one step further by directly cutting out specific portion of the paintings. What was left from this act of deconstruction was a pile of geometric shapes and cutout negatives. It only made sense to combine elements to make new work.
With a project like this, I like to start off by organizing the raw materials and then try to find correlations between the disparate elements. I make sketches from there, but sometimes I work directly with the materials. So, I tinkered with orders layers and combining the paper components. For the piece entitled Lay Out, I decided to combine the more organic shapes with the grid frame. An abstract blue horizon came into the picture; so a seascape came to inform the rest of the composition. I named it Lay Out, because it brought to mind laying out on the beach but referenced the grids used for layouts as well as the literal layering of paper. For Vase Face, I already knew I wanted to combine the similar red and blue color schemes. When placed over the larger shape, the number and scale of small shapes made it an obvious decision to personify the vase. The piece, Zig Grid , played with the masking to create a container rather than a full composition. As I looked at the minimal scraps left over, I realized that this could be more than just about re-collaging the past.
The process started with removal of the unnecessary, but developed into an approach to creating something new. And so, the concept revealed itself as this idea on how graphic minimalism [not minimalist graphics] can be a micro example of practicing sustainability. It teaches that we can work with what is there, available and at hand. We don’t always have to continually use completely new resources to create. Work can be be resourcefully transformed. Moreover, not only conservation but Time is also part of the discussion on sustainability. Temporal concepts could be used to visually communicate the healing and precious value of time. Many artists strive to make work that will last forever. This notion of creating a timeless masterpiece is an antiquated concept, and in today’s world, a more dynamic and evolving practice seems to be more relevant to how we consume art and information.
Paper is a casual discourse series meant to document my thought process and track the development of the CoolCool creative practice. I want to share my ideas and welcome your thoughts as well. Let’s discuss!