Approaching Zero

Approaching Zero
a mural about the void

I have a crush on mathematics: call it a hobby or a fascination, but
for me it is a passionate (if one-sided) affair. My work uses precise
measurement and calculated repetition to consider the division of
space and the infinite series of sequences that make up the universe
-- or at the very least, those small pockets of the universe that sit
between my paintings and the viewer. My practice of painting is rooted
in an exploration of geometry. Early on in my life I was pretty good
in mathematics - I was not at the top of my class however, I was above
average. That was a long time ago. I have left the precision of
numbers and equations far behind for a more intuitive approach towards
defining, or reducing, a surface to basic spacial features.

One thing that I find interesting about numbers is the idea of zero.
It is the opposite of a value, a non value if you will. Another thing
that fascinates me about math is the concept of an irrational number -
a value that cannot be expressed by a fraction. One example of this is
found when graphing a tangent function. In doing so one is left with a
series of curves divided by a frequency of vertical asymptotes -
points on the graph where the function is undefined. There are points
along the graph where the lines never touch. They venture into
infinity, getting closer and closer, yet they never connect. I have
taken some poetic license with these two concepts and combined them to
represent the intangible aspects of creativity - the undefinable
moments of creative process - Approaching Zero.

With this painting I began the process with the eastern wall of the
gallery. Taking its shape, I reflected the pitch of the ceiling into
an “x” across the center of the wall. As a result the “x” defined a
diamond shape in the middle. The fade to white in the heart of that
shape is my interpretation of zero, as defined by my own irrational
process.

Screen Scene

Screen Scene
I had the extreme pleasure of being a part of Kala Art Institute’s Parent Artist Residency Program. I spent my time exploring the virtues of the screen print. As a result, I fell in love with printed media all over again. My work translates easily to the screen print process. In some respects it allows my process to unfold much quicker. Through the registration process for multi-colored prints, and prepping the screen, a repetition was created rather unexpectedly. I was able to turn the layered effect into something brand new in my compositions.

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Divine Madness

 

My latest paintings continue to chart a course toward an imagined intersection of past and present, where the school of hard-edged abstraction pioneered in the 1960s meets the patterns and polyrhythms of modern music, mathematics, and daily life in the 21st century. Recently, a new element has also been introduced by way of my friend and occasional mentor, the exceptionally talented painter Guy Diehl. During an in-studio demonstration, Guy generously provided me the key to his color blending technique, as well as a recipe for mixing acrylic paints so that they may behave more like oils, staying wet and loose. While our overall styles couldn’t be more different, the master’s influence has left a significant mark: the softer gradations of color of these new works directly reflect this new addition to my vocabulary as a painter.

I often think of my work as analogous to music and mathematics – like these ‘languages,’ my work takes the form of a nonverbal expression that is both inspired and supported by naturally occurring patterns and rhythmic phenomena. My paintings are not necessarily meant to be understood on a cerebral level; the emphasis is more on a visual sensation. Having chosen hard-edged abstraction as the path to express this language, every stroke and proportion needs to be considered for me to feel a painting is complete. In keeping with this approach, my practice comprises both a rigorous sense of visual discipline and simultaneously, a sense of fun and light-heartedness. Like Lee “Scratch” Perry blowing smoke into the master tapes while recording in an effort to achieve a certain inexplicable effect, I too want some of the freewheeling pleasure I take in making each work to come through in its final state. The liberty I take with titles reflects this enjoyment. For these works, I have borrowed phrases from Neil deGrasse Tyson as well as inspirations including song lyrics or titles and passages from books that are currently on my nightstand, connecting my studio practice to the universe of color and rhythm that surrounds us.

 

Brian Caraway
2017