Essais and Reviews > Latitudes
September, 2007
My paintings are about borders and trespassing borders. For my last cycle of work I have chosen topographical maps and
images of animals, specifically, those creatures that carry a symbolic load in certain cultures.
On several paintings I have overlaid a system of lines (based on the information found on a topographical map) on top of a
more painterly background. Symbolically this contrast stands for several topics I am interested in: Our lives and actions are defined
by the interplay of self imposed constraints or limitations and, often times, a simultaneous longing for freedom and independence.
In many ways this subconscious conflict rules our world and is at the base of our societies.
We live in a world of relative order within given (b)orders yet almost all of us occasionally seek to escape the “grid system” and
vie to catch a glimpse of this less constricted and more appealing existence. With my paintings, I am trying to capture this underlying human condition. Life can be seen as seeking our place in the world; about defining ourselves in relationship with others.
The grid represents the appeal of a structure in people’s lives: it provides a navigational scheme through life’s journey. I use the landscape motif as a stage, or background for this exploration:Animals that populate this scenery are a representation of our human behavior.
In many cultures around the world animals stand for human behaviors or represent certain (human) character traitsFloating, idling together
in groups intermingling with one another and the world that surrounds them, these creatures both represent us, and give us a way
to describe our failings and strengths to the friends and family that share our journey.
September, 2007
My paintings are about borders and trespassing borders. For my last cycle of work I have chosen topographical maps and
images of animals, specifically, those creatures that carry a symbolic load in certain cultures.
On several paintings I have overlaid a system of lines (based on the information found on a topographical map) on top of a
more painterly background. Symbolically this contrast stands for several topics I am interested in: Our lives and actions are defined
by the interplay of self imposed constraints or limitations and, often times, a simultaneous longing for freedom and independence.
In many ways this subconscious conflict rules our world and is at the base of our societies.
We live in a world of relative order within given (b)orders yet almost all of us occasionally seek to escape the “grid system” and
vie to catch a glimpse of this less constricted and more appealing existence. With my paintings, I am trying to capture this underlying human condition. Life can be seen as seeking our place in the world; about defining ourselves in relationship with others.
The grid represents the appeal of a structure in people’s lives: it provides a navigational scheme through life’s journey. I use the landscape motif as a stage, or background for this exploration:Animals that populate this scenery are a representation of our human behavior.
In many cultures around the world animals stand for human behaviors or represent certain (human) character traitsFloating, idling together
in groups intermingling with one another and the world that surrounds them, these creatures both represent us, and give us a way
to describe our failings and strengths to the friends and family that share our journey.