Almost three years ago, I moved my studio from
downtown Portland to the Dana Warp Mill in Westbrook. The huge sprawling
building, formerly a woolen mill, is situated next to the Saccarappa Falls
on a branch of the Presumpscott River.
In the studio, the windows are large enough that
there is an enormous amount of natural light, something that was useful
for factory workers, and is now for a painter as well. These same tall
windows are placed high enough that the river itself is not easily visible
in the room. Yet I find that the presence of the river, and all the
possibilities it embodies permeates the space.
I have long been influenced by transcendentalist
philosophy. As the dictionary describes it, there are realities of a
spiritual or unknowable nature that exist beyond what is present in
experience. Or with a more modern, psychological interpretation, what we
see at any given time has inherent in it, multiple other associations,
memories, thoughts and ideas, tangible or otherwise. Curiously, in my
studio, it is the closeness of the river, yet the very absence of a view
of it, that stirs my imagination. These paintings are clearly stimulated
by working in this location. And they reflect my interest in multiple,
interrelated levels of reality.
There are a number of devices I’ve used to explore
this. One is the use of reflection and transparency. For example, the
reflection of something as transparent as a glass of water raises the
question of the very nature of our perceptions. I continue to use multiple
panels, especially diptychs, to reveal some of my own patterns of
association. And I continue to juxtapose visual elements to suggest new
realities and relationships. In the end, I try to construct my paintings
by intentionally leaving open and undefined aspects of them, in order to
activate and engage the imagination of my viewers.
