a m e rican artist
Kelly Carter
Oil and Mixed M edia
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Through the process of painting I ask questions and relive memories.
The motivation lies in a need to communicate and come to grips with the
simultaneous beauty and horror that can be found in situations I have
previously encountered in my life before practicing art where I worked
as helicopter crewmember in the US Army. The way painting masters often
captured human tragedy amongst the backdrop of breathtaking scenery
often inspires me. The chaos and gore of violence I have witnessed has
often been set in vast beautiful terrain. When capturing this duality I find
the process of creating cathartic and a much needed means of con-
templation and oblivion. The end product can afford me a small fleeting
answer or simply be a compiling of jumbled memories and emotions to
reflect upon.
The work itself is often landscape based focusing on the duality of
beauty and horror I have found in my own memories or in situations I can
relate to that bear importance. Perspective abstraction and saturated
colors often mimic the vague reality of my dreams. Throughout the painting
process I often turn the picture plane while working. This action results in
an image that can be viewed in many positions and is often disorienting.
The inconsistent viewing experience is a way to add to the confusing or
complex nature of the problems I am questioning. I strive to communicate the
tension and frustration felt when you boil down a situation or a memory to its
basic parts yet understanding still eludes you. In more recent work I am expand-
ing from my personal view on my own experiences to my thoughts on how others
view like situations. Thus beginning to question human