ART Habens Art Review // Special Issue ART Habens Art Review - Special Issue #89 | Page 14

ART Habens
Jack Rosenberg
my intentions. Most of the new works from
2016 and after generally have a lighter
and more neutral palette. This is deliberate
and for no more reason other than the fact
that it pleases me.
My natural tendency is towards dark and
black backgrounds — a la Rembrandt and
van Dyck—and sometimes that is
appropriate and correct for a particular
image, especially one that riffs on the Old
Masters. I need to be consciously aware
and defiant of my “dark” predilections. The
iconic Old Master images are burned so
deeply into my memory and subconscious
that it can be difficult to fight against that
pull and go with a lighter, more
“contemporary” palette. This tension—
between the tones of Old Masters and my
contemporary intentions—plays itself out
in the process of layering a painting, and
often leads to heavy impasto textures.
I’m quite fond of the textural and tactile
effect that is created by the layering of
different effects including impastos,
scumbles, and transparent glazes. There is
a “peek-a-boo” effect to the under-painting
and first layers, which are often then re-
iterated as they become overly obliterated.
There is also a dance between the layers
as they appear and disappear. The
deliberate integration of background and
foreground (primary image) is
accomplished by a non-uniform, yet
cohesive mark- making process and by the
effects created over time by my manner of
paint handling.
I absolutely consider many of the paintings
to be political and/or societal commentary.
Special Issue
23
4
05