Miniature Sublime is an attempt to establish a physical representation of the elusive. The impermanence of the medium lends to the impermanence of the images, rendering them unstable and vulnerable to deterioration. Ink is temporarily suspended and pressed between thin sheets of glass. Over time the liquid slowly dries, creating thin ribbons of pigment and soft gradations of value, producing images of abstract spaces. One is left momentarily disconnected from any physical or mental sense of place. Size loses significance. The miniature becomes the grand; microscopic abstractions become rough mountains or tumultuous waves. The infinite within the miniscule is revealed.
The wall projection transforms the miniature to the grand, paralleling the physical miniatures with the insubstantial image. Expanded beyond human scale, small intricacies become discernable, revealing details and suggesting continuity toward the microscopic or macroscopic. Although large enough for further comprehension, the image remains inaccessible. Without a comparative context, the true size of the image, or what it represents, is unknown.
Miniature Sublime is an innate contradiction, an attempt to contain the uncontainable. It is simultaneously sublime and not sublime. In short, it is an inevitable failure. The uncontainable can never be contained, represented, or deterred. To capture the sublime is to alter it. The attempt to represent the elusive, however futile, is in itself sublime.
iostern, 2010-2011, Mixed Media, 18 in. x 24 in. x 15 in. [1 in. x 3 in.]
eawosem, 2010-2011, Mixed Media, 18 in. x 24 in. x 15 in. [1 in. x 3 in.]
Considering the laws of physics, life should not exist. This inherent implausibility is a fascinating and intimidating subject. Emergence becomes the struggle against non-existence. Repetitious clustering of atoms and cells oppose disintegration, acting as small metaphors of our own struggle for existence. The similarities between all organisms and systems – simple or complex, micro or macro – are vast and infinite.
The work explores the uncomfortable space in between growth and decay to convey the sublimity and fragility of existence. By mimicking these processes, visually and conceptually, the drawings explore the manifestations and relationships between these forces. My practice of drawing, and tracing states of emergence and entropy in our environment is an extension of the futile desire to capture life. I contrast colors, textures, and methods of representation to parallel this tension. Watercolor and ink are used intuitively, while pen and graphite provide detailed and controlled mark making.
In Non-Existent Decay, I appropriate moments of deterioration stalled by human intervention. Eroded sections of concrete traced onto sheets of mylar are embellished with graphite and ink. Obsessive marks and lines instill structure inside disorder while simultaneously suggesting infinity. The work alludes to both celestial bodies and microscopic entities, reflecting the interconnected complexities between emergence, entropy, and existence.
reproduce, India Ink and Graphite on Mylar, 25 in. x 40 in.
substance, India Ink and Graphite on Mylar, 25 in. x 40 in., 2009
consume, India Ink and Graphite on Mylar, 25 in. x 40 in., 2009
layer, India Ink and Graphite on Mylar, 25 in. x 40 in., 2009
full, India Ink and Graphite on Mylar, 25 in. x 40 in. 2009
