Exo-objects 2021
26” x 27”, dry pigment, graphite and colored pencil on paper
This is the fourth series completed during Covid times. Like the Ebony and UFO series that preceded it, the work is “dark”: a bit ominous and the result of a labor intensive, slow and personally meditative process.
The images are constructed with two very contrasting elements.
The Exo-objects themselves are made with dry pigment rubbed into the paper to form a very matte finish, further enhanced by the rough surface of cold-pressed paper. Colored pencil is added to strengthen hues and texture. The shapes suggest objects that don’t exist in our terrestrial world, perhaps asteroids or Oort cloud objects, hence the title. They relate both to astronomical objects that I know about as well as those dream images emerging from my sub-conscious. The scale is ambiguous and the objects appear to float or belong to an environment with little or no gravity.
The second element consists of graphite rubbed into the paper vigorously to create a metallic sheen. These sharp edged shapes may contain reflections, projections or shadows of the Exo-objects. They may suggest landscapes or land forms that twist or torque the space in which the Exo-objects exist. Using these elements, I wanted to create the illusion of three (or possibly four) dimensional space within the untouched empty white background made by the surface of the paper. This effect again might be extra-terrestrial.
