Arjuana

STATEMENT

I believe we are storytellers by nature. It takes stories to make us human; it takes stories to keep us human. We have always looked to the stars and created heroes and myths, stood before the ocean and interpreted its mysteries to make gods and monsters. I tell stories with gesture and form, surface and texture, in an attempt to convey that same sense of awe and wonder. I want people to find their own meaningfulness in my paintings rather than be concerned about meaning. In this way, we are sharing stories; discovering what makes us truly human.

My black and white paintings were created without brushes. I used wet-on-wet techniques and poured the paint onto the surface, then manipulated it with compressed air. The physical disconnection from the work lends the ephemeral quality; that sense of disembodiment and haunting.

The original inspiration was from the twists and undulations of cigar smoke in the studio. I become increasingly fascinated with ideas of dissipation and dissolution. Over the period of about 18 months, I developed my own technique to physically represent what was born in my mind’s eye.

The result is both expressionist and formalist; the works conveying deep emotions (different for each viewer) while being largely process-driven. Over time, I mitigated the elements of chance and was able to be very deliberate in my compositions. The work from 2018-2019 shows new levels of mastery and control, while also letting go to improvise and explore.