This is a new painting called Ozymandias Shoe, using the name of the previously mentioned king from P.B. Shelley’s poem. It’s sort of an extension of my Archaeology series from last year but more about the rhythm of the the underground strata than the symbols and artifacts contained in the original series. The piece that was the subject of the contest a week or so back, Laminae In Harmony, was in this same vein.
To me, these pieces are about the organic quality of the layers and the interplay of the colors. I like having this semi-abstract element in a painting that is primarily representative in nature which is something that I feel is present in my best work. As I’ve written before, the use of the representative elements in my paintings is primarily a means to engage the viewer. For me , the paintings are about the abstract quality of the underlying elements, by which I mean the color and texture of the forms that build up the surface.
Okay, that’s enough of that. I almost wandered too deeply into the land of artspeak. If you stay there too long you may never come back and if you do, you’ll be wearing a beret and a cape.
Anyway, this piece is meant to speak to the theme of Ozymandias and the futility of believing in our own immortality, our dominance over the earth. This painting will be part of my show at the Principle Gallery, starting June 12.
Redtree Times 