At first glance the flat color in Archipelago appears monolithic, but as the eye moves, the flora and fauna of the “islands” take shape. Flashes of warm, saturated color—yellow, orange, pink, red—are joined by scraggly, blue-green patches. What is being revealed? Plumage or foliage? Desert or jungle? Several small lines appear as bridges between the shapes. But they are tenuous ones, hardly assuring safe passage. Between the lines lies the question, a disturbing one at this moment in time, of whether there is any prospect of bridging the distance. In making extensive use of the single, flat color, I leave the question visually unresolved. In this work I am continuing my exploration of how the act of concealing, by means of overpainting, actually reveals and brings focus to the sprawl of life in the layers underneath.
Archipelago, acrylic and charcoal on paper, 40 x 26 inches