A Tragedy

Daniel Atyim

oil paint and cold wax on panel

“Fascinated by texture, I explore the function and meaning of surfaces. I’m interested in the ways that surfaces describe or dim underlying structures particularly the transitions implied in natural and industrial facades like scars on the epidermis or the reconfiguring of land by heavy machinery. My recent paintings are rooted in repeated actions that embody labor and time. Each piece begins with a painting of biomorphic forms emerging from an illusion of space, interior or exterior, architectural or landscape. The image is sublimated with circles of color extruded onto the surface through a template creating a biased grid. The grid forms slowly as individually mixed color is placed inside the shallow cylindrical form of the template. Eventually the paint develops its skin and hardens. Through this labor of repeated actions, time is materialized in these discs of oil paint. The discs of color create a physical texture that enhances the underlying image yet creates visual interference. The low relief of the oil paint creates a micro and macro topography of points in space. These points represent growth, openings or ports awaiting an attachment. The physicality of the paint is heightened when viewed from different angles increasing the illusion of movement through pattern and color. The results provoke surprising and subtle shifts in perception.”

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Size: 20″ x 20″
Price: $1,900

Contact melanyb@eauclaire.lib.wi.us for details.