Lights and Shadows (mural) is the largest of a series of works that blends with surroundings, and seemingly changes appearance as light conditions shift over the course of a day. During its creation, I developed the technique that underpins the entire Lights and Shadows series, building the surface from the ground up with semi-transparent layers of off-white paint.
The painting itself underwent many changes until completion. I chose a distinctly broad format, aiming for a “wide horizon” feel. I then broke down the painting into distinct segments, vertically and horizontally, and established a grid. My original intention was to create a composition of rhythmic gesture layered on top of geometric shapes. The latter became less important when I discovered the appearance shifting properties of thinly layered, off-white paint depending on daylight conditions. This observation led me to give up any notion of a geometric composition but focus on the color appearance of the painting’s increasingly thick surface.
Given the size of this painting, going from left to right in a repetitive pattern of brush strokes seemed the only economical way to manage physically. In retrospect, it is amusing to me that the repetitive nature of these brush strokes, discovered while creating this piece, led to me to transform my art in fundamental way.
Painting details:
Lights and Shadows (mural)
2007-2008
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
62” x 168” (157 x 427 cm)