I don't consider myself a painter. I think of myself more as an artist who uses paintings rather than simply makes them. Especially with my latest pieces, the work may be informed by conversations surrounding the medium, but it's not in any way fixed or limited to them.
The ideas of non-duality and mindfulness that I address in my works are things I try to practice in my daily life. Both in and outside of the studio, it's about trying to be fully present, to accept things as they are, to frame your experience in terms of a continually unfolding moment. I feel like that's directly reflected in my formal approach: utilizing a literal use of materials, emphasizing the more ephemeral aspects of the artistic process, and so on.
On one level, I'm interested in how the space dictates the effect visually - how the composition of a given work changes depending on the nature of each wall. But I'm also trying to emphasize less tangible elements: the amount of time it takes to walk the gallery's perimeter; how one's physical distance affects his or her sense of the overall composition; how the size of the space creates a sense of visual rhythm. It's really a matter of seeing how much structure is necessary to impose for those things to become apparent.
None of the more apparently expressive elements involved in my work - color, form, application, and so on - are important or instructive in themselves. They're all just a means of entry, markers pointing beyond themselves towards something broader and less controlled.
I feel it's important, in presenting a work of art, that everything ends up serving a purpose. There are all these variables involved - large and small, obvious and ephemeral - and each has the potential to become an active, considered part of the work. So my goal is simply to approach each step as an opportunity to produce work that carries visual weight but retains this sense of openness and possibility.
What I think confuses things is when people approach painting as an inherently expressive or personal medium. We still tend to have this expectation of purity with painting, this idea not only that the artist must be reflected in his or her canvases, but more importantly, that this is where one finds meaning.
I don't feel like my work is impersonal - it is, in many ways, a reflection upon me - but that's ultimately not the point. I'd rather each piece be seen as part of a larger experience, and that each installation be approached as a point of departure. As open as I am trying to keep things in my practice, I want the audience's experience to be as well. That's what keeps things existing.
Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Every day we present the best quotes! Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends
or simply:
Robert Barry Artist
Glenn Ligon Visual Artist
