With the paintings for my upcoming solo show Genesis , which opened May 5 th at Butters Gallery in Portland , Oregon , I have begun to deconstruct the work , marking a new direction . Genesis focuses on the complex formation of my geologically layered surfaces . This body of work also uses line organically as the genesis ; lines intersect , overlap and at times form grids like the unfolding of a map , creating a synthesis with my own life transformation .
The work is more minimal in its approach and overall execution , and came out of an urge to have the complexity of the paintings ’ surfaces come more into focus . This demanded a certain amount of restraint , a slower more methodical way of working and a lot more looking . While grappling with this transformation in my work , I read the obituary of the late Ellsworth Kelly and was struck by this quote …“ I wondered , ‘ Can I make a painting with just five panels of color in a row ?’ I loved it , but I didn ’ t think the world would . They ’ d think , ‘ It ’ s not enough .’ ” This could not have resonated more with what I was experiencing with my own work and the questions I was asking myself . It was then that I came up with the title Genesis for the show .