Sally Barron MFA part 3
Artist Statement
“The provisional is born in the moment when the painter hesitates between painting and not-painting-and then begins to paint nonetheless”1
The walk to my studio covers the sights and sounds of the pavement, park and distant landscapes, where these spaces are territories overlapping internal thoughts. Combined with the notion that “nothing is more abstract than reality”2, these works are made as part of the cyclical nature of creation and reflection.
The challenge of not pre-planning or composing paintings lies in the continuous evolution of the image. One of the guiding ideas is that of ‘provisional’ painting. These works represent cumulative attempts to realize their forms, allowing the painting to guide its own development rather than being directed, leading to a more organic outcome. It may or may not have an ending, it may just be abandoned.
Collage, both physically and conceptually, supports this process by embracing unpredictability and layering. This technique establishes a set of parameters that foster ‘emergence,’ allowing for the incorporation of diverse elements and unexpected mergers. This gradual emergence can lead to a reconfiguring of the whole work – opening it up and leaving it open.
Footnotes
1 Raphael Rubinstein, "Provisional Painting Part 2: To Rest Lightly on Earth," Art in America, February 3, 2012, accessed July 30, 2024.
2 Charles Percy, Giorgio Morandi: The Art of Silence (New York: Phaidon Press, 2011), 45.