These paintings represent an abstract interpretation of the human figure. The inspiration for these paintings originated from attending figure drawing sessions starting in 2021. In these drawing sessions, I’m in a meditative state where I’m reacting to how my visual language interprets the lines and shapes of the body. I’m driven by what excites me visually as I perform the physical act of drawing.
Sometimes the presence of the figure is literal, with silhouettes stalking through distorted remnants of interiors from my dreams. In other paintings, the figure becomes a stick-like insect or blob, caught in a swirl of debris. As I’ve explored the disintegration of the figure in more depth, the repetition of limbs and poses on a single surface create emerging patterns. New creatures are formed unique to my implementation of abstraction: part bug, part totem pole, part ruined map.
In addition to the idea of assessing a figure removed from its environment, I’ve also being creating tableaus of dual figures inspired by confrontational moments in horror films. The villain is engaged with the hero in the climactic fight, or else the villain has claimed another victim. There’s a sense of two figures in isolation which lends itself to creating entwined shapes and a tension in the composition. I carry the scenes in my mind, not as a source to duplicate, but to capture the lingering sensation into the painting.