Abstract
Have you ever wondered if there is anything higher and farther than your material reality you know and recognize? Is it a curse to be aware of the higher call of the universe? Is it strange to think about the beings and realms that lie beyond our galaxy? What wonderful and strange things can we discover after unlocking our spiritual potential? At first, these kinds of thoughts clouded and disoriented my sense of self and life with being labeled as a severe case of “existential angst.” Which means a negative feeling from thinking about the meaning, purpose, and mortality of life. But then I discovered that this particular state of mind is called being an unorthodox thinker. What some people would claim and recognize as bleak, I see it as an opportunity to see and accept more of in our short lifespans. And now, I have made it my mission to combine both of my favorite qualities to create work that brings that same level of excitement I get when I think about my place in our galaxy and discover interesting spiritual principles in my research.
Throughout the past year, I have created 7 paintings that visually simplify the most impactful quotes or themes I found in my analyzed sources. My sources are philosophical and spiritual texts that analyze and discuss the different modes of existence within ourselves and possibly within the universe. Each of the paintings uses a unique pour technique that fluctuates and takes control in a way that is similar to the principles I find within the subject. As the paint dries, it alters its finished look in a way that can’t be managed or predicted. Then if needed the use of figuration and designs are included to indicate familiarity and matter within the composition.
The biggest lesson I learned throughout all of my work is to accept having only a certain amount of control with this process and to build a habit of walking away to see its progress. As difficult as it is, I understand and am happy to claim that this whole collection of work I made is a mandatory reflection of life: You must learn to let go and accept the chaos. And while I have experimented with many other materials like string and clayboard, the results of all these experiments lead me to conclude which materials work together now.
Artist Statement
My paintings are about my personal comprehension of the spirituality and philosophy behind planes of human existence. Some of the questions that help grasp my concept are “What realms exist beyond the material and conventional? Is there another world beyond human conscience and tangibility? Can we comprehend a metaphysical thought or plane of existence to be as real as organic or human matter? With painting being the most liberating and direct way for me to express my thoughts, I wanted to create work about seeing the world on a different level. My process is depicting my personal thoughts and theories from philosophers into abstract forms and designs using my unpredictable pour paint technique of mixing paint and pour medium. The chemistry between the colors and materials changes the viscosity, thickness, and intensity of the paint altogether. And for every piece I create, I blur the line between what principles can be grasped as tangible or intangible. So when layering and combining the materials with paint, the chemistry or reaction between each other can yield a different composition or result every time. I use my paint technique and figurative representation to give living form to spiritual and philosophical concepts.These modes of existence are mentioned and analyzed many times throughout my research and then transformed into visual forms or beings.This unpredictability in the materials and in spiritual truths are relatable to one of the most important principles I’ve learned; we can’t control or know everything in life. Therefore my use of an unpredictable paint method teaches me to accept the uncontrollable characteristics of my life. My work is a spiritual epiphany making a very difficult subject easier to digest while embracing the uncertainty within it. So by intersecting the connection between existential theory and paint, I shall bring these discoveries to life.