I was looking through some older images on my computer, searching for a painting that I had completed several years back. As I scanned through the paintings, I noticed several pieces through the years that were different from most of the work I’ve been doing recently. They were multiples, such as Peers, shown here. They were paintings with several windows with a new scene in each, although most of the scene were very similar to the others.
It was a format in which I really enjoyed working and one that I have not revisited in a couple of years. I really don’t know why.
They have a very graphic appearance and really stand out on a wall, making them pretty well received as a rule. I guess in the past few years I’ve been focusing more on working on texture and heightening the color, as well as working in the Archaeology series, so that I haven’t even thought of revisiting this format.
I remember some of the early ones very well. One had 48 cells and had a great look, the result of overlaying the paint with layers of chalk and pastel. Another was the same number of cells with 48 individual small paintings, each window having a separate opening in the mat. It was a pretty difficult piece to mat and frame but it also popped off the wall. I will have to go through my slides from that time (pre-digital) and see if I can wrangle up a few shots. I would like to see them again to see how they really hold up against my memory.
Maybe I will revisit the multiples sometime soon. I often run across things that have slipped from the front of my painting mind when I go back looking for something else. It may be a format such as these multiples or may be a small compositional element. It’s always interesting for me to try to re-insert this older element into the new work, to see how the inevitable evolution of the work will change this older concept. We’ll have to see what this brings…
Redtree Times 