THE STRUGGLE OF JACOB the-struggle-of-jacob | Page 26

These informal backgrounds form the environment of my paintings,
determining their atmosphere, their climate. They are not looked
at in detail - except by an expert eye - not nearly as much as
the readily recognizable geometrical elements. They are like the
boundless sidereal space in which we focus only on a celestial
body or points of light, they are like the infinitely multifaceted
reality surrounding us where we can only make out recognizable
details, they are like the amniotic fluid in which a body is
suspended as it takes form. However, they have the power to
transport the observer beyond the surface of the canvas,
moving “inside” the picture, entering a parallel world, a
metaphysical universe.
The setting for the Struggle of Jacob is the night-time, a night
charged with energy, at first imminent, then overflowing,
finally dissipating before sunrise. The atmosphere is obscure,
but at the same time electric, radioactive, and liquid. To me,
shades of violet and phosphorescent green seemed
appropriate for expressing tension and mystery.
Normally I begin with the white canvas and overlay the paint.
In this case though, my reasoning had to be the opposite: to
start from the gloom, from a dark base, and then charge that
with whitish flashes.
My first attempt - which was virtual - turned out well from the
start: I took some photos of my usual backgrounds and turned
them into negatives on the computer. Perfect!
Once I understood the effect that I was aiming at, I began to
execute the backgrounds.