Look carefully. Do you see us? What we do here and how we become who we are? Why the need for transformation? Remaining the same would seem simpler to an intelligent conglomerate. The stuff we reinterpret through seasonal cycles. Trends. Such a clutter of objects recycled, rehashed, reinvented. Yes there is the reality of consumerism and the economy but why the need for constant change?

Pragmatism as a goal would seem sufficient and give us more time to ponder the universe, but no - we turn our gaze not inward but rather project it in a mirror. Does this alter evolution? Our behavior is peculiar. Why change clothing or put spots on a couch? The old skin left behind by the snake is like a discarded garment. By reinterpreting items such as furniture or clothing we say things. These things are in a way vehicles of the self.

I want to take these everyday objects out of context and present them in a different light. When viewing furniture in a painting by Rembrandt or Vermeer we automatically see them as time pieces relevant to the period of the work. We disappear generation after generation while some of our belongings stay behind.This painting installation includes a series of four works painted in oil on Arches paper and five oil paintings of various dimensions done on canvas.

The works done on paper include four chairs that we see in our everyday lives. As in a display catalogue they are arranged one object per picture against a pastel coloured background. There is a blue stuffed armchair with the headrest cut out. A tan coloured chair which can seat two in a totem like position. A dark green wing back chair that sports camping gear on its back. And a skinny legged chair that seats a tightly woven cocoon in its lap. All four paintings are to be framed very simply and hung close together.

     

The paintings done on canvas comprise two chaise lounges. One is yellow with a cylindrical pillow at one end. The legs of this piece underneath the seat continue right up around the pillow making the legs appear like spikes around the pillow. The other chaise lounge is painted in a green pattern and has the shape of a sharp broken line. Both couches were painted on a black background to emphasize their shape and colour.

There is also a two legged pulpit painted on a dark background which seems to be resurrecting with the underside of the legs made prominent. this piece with its atmospheric quality is made to be exhibited high on a wall. A red velvet barrel chair also painted on a black background is twisted so that one side comes right up on the seat . Being coiled onto itself, it is shown toppled to one side as if falling with one leg sticking out, it resembles a rose.

The last painting is of a bed. Because of the importance of this piece of furniture I decided to paint it life size. The bed has a square shape and is presented with a corner facing the viewer, like a diamond. The headboard sits at the opposing end. It has two sides which merge together at the center to form a third panel that cuts right into the center of the surface. The colours are neutral except for the mahogany headboard and the dark gray shadow underneath the bed. The surface of the bed is shaped by soft melting slopes where the pillows are tucked under the pale cover.

My paintings represent us in different existential states through the things we make. Our time spent here at many levels revealed. Starting with their original appearance I have decided to simply continue the respective lines of the furniture and exaggerate them. Curves, spirals and slopes when pushed further become coils and contortions revealing something else. The different designs bring into focus the core of this project which is to bring to light the in which we transform some of the things we make not for practical purposes but to simply mark our passage here.

In a way viewing these paintings is like observing a chimpanzee in a cage, we look to find a resemblance.

 

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