The paintings in Lovely
Disasters reference natural forms, drawing on structures and growth
patterns such as those found in bacteria and viruses, insects, fungus, and
mold. In an invasion of mold, an aerial view of a destructive algal bloom, a
parasitic insect, or a microscopic view of a deadly disease, can be found an
unexpected and often unsettling loveliness, even as a persistent life form
takes over and compromises or destroys another often much larger body.
The paintings examine the interplay between the fragile,
delicate elements that propagate amongst the larger structures. The larger
forms are broken up by smaller ones, from which bulbous nodes cluster and
delicate tendrils sprout, weaving themselves through the larger body and
disrupting it, causing it to change shape and direction. The images often begin
with symmetrical forms that droop, sag, and drip, as they grow outward, and are
invaded by the growths proliferating throughout. They float, hover, or move
through color that shifts and seeps through them, allowing the forms to emerge
and recede in a space that elicits the deep-sea, satellite views of earth,
nebula, or even a Petri dish.
The work explores ideas of growth and disruption, and the
paintings themselves develop organically. Each mark or line dictates the next,
allowing the addition of each new element to reshape the form and set a new
course for its growth. It celebrates the potential of living organisms to
contain both destructive power and unexpected beauty.
Please click images for larger view and mouse over images in slideshow for information on each piece.