I live near water and solve most of my creative challenges in a kayak or walking close to shore. Mostly subconsciously, I note the changes in color, texture, and viscosity of the surface through the seasons, crystal clear in spring after the ice melts, heavy and somewhat murky during hot summer days, dark and full of unexpected contrasts in the autumn light, frozen in winter, clear beneath the ice. It is not surprising that water would eventually find its way into my work.
"Relish the Drift" explores water as art medium, metaphor and element, and included several projects where water was deployed for structural reasons or as metaphor. "Golden Oldies" deploys water to make visual scores; "Drift" is a poem about isolation, loss and acceptance; the four digital seascapes of "Now for the Painter" honor the painter R.J.W. Turner. Several new works were also included, two video pieces, "Swallow" and "H2O", and a series of paintings. "Swallow" explores the sheer power of water, "H2O" celebrates the viscosity and texture of water and the magic marriage of water and light. The painting series was installed floor to ceiling like a cascading waterfall.
Below is a short documentation of the exhibition.
"Relish the Drift", solo exhibition at the Merwin Gallery, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2011
