September 05, 2009

Named and Documented...

2009 - Revolve - 48 x 36

2009 - Scotch - 60 x 48

Finishing up these two... trying to get a handle of a back log of unfinished works so I can refresh inventories in several states. I sometimes wish I was the type to follow through with one idea from beginning to end but that's not the way I do things. Have to try it every-which-way, and often wishing I had a 'control-Z' option to get back to a previous state. But then... the sun breaks through the clouds of indecision and it all comes together. These two paintings hark back to a long time mode of geometrics heavily dependent on the ruled line. There's nothing new here, I could point to dozens of similar works on my site and if an artist needs to claim a 'body of work'... this would be mine, I suppose.

In the 'storage' hallway outside my studio there are at least a dozen unfinished paintings... most headed in the newer boshuko direction. When the mood strikes, and it will, I'll once again feverishly pursue their final layers... but that series has yet to find it's audience so they are mostly just for my serious side. Not that the above paintings aren't considered serious... they are serious inventory bets, believe me... and if they were formulatic they would have been finished weeks ago without all the anguish that seems to be part of my process.

8 comments:

Cathy Hegman said...

I like the geometrics...I am working with square canvases right now and they tend to cry out for geometry to pull them together. I guess it helps to break up the monotony of the square shape to fill it with smaller angles and arcs. So far I think they take me much longer to finish as I tend to paint them by working, covering, reworking, covering, reworking, covering,reworking, excavation....etc. on them. Takes a heap of brain waves to pull them out!LOL

Karen Jacobs said...

Wouldn't curators with x-rays have a time with our work? Leonardo and his gang made it look simple ;)

Anonymous said...

These are lovely!

p said...

i'm no critic or know much about paintings...but i do know what appeals to my senses...i like how to me these have a panel feel, but also a very archeological desert feel. structure...dwellings..its very satisfying. congrats on naming and tying up more loose ends.

CMC said...

Look great to me, Karen. I think I need to do something to some old ones hanging around waaay too long.

Martha Marshall said...

Strong work, Karen. And who would expect otherwise? I know you'll get back on the boshukos when the time is right.

As you know, I've made sudden turns a couple of times without a lot of warning. There's a lot to be said for slow introductions to change.

Funny! I just fantasized about one of your big geometric paintings with a big ghost of a boshuko coming through underneath.

Karen Jacobs said...

Martha, you've been ghosting around my studio ;) There are so many layers on each, ghosts come and go and I like the way they do. I think the two paths are merging, still a long way to go.

San said...

"Anguish" is such a good word here. Making all of those decisions, having to let go of parts of paintings, realizing that the letting go has changed the whole thing, so that other parts must go and be replaced. Yes, anguish is the word.

But these paintings don't reveal their anguish. They look very chipper. :)