Barn Paintings were inspired by some of the experiences that I had while residing at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California during the month of May, 2012. I was most intrigued by the history of the place and how that relates to its present incarnation. The land that Esalen Institute: a retreat for self-exploration, resides on is an old burial ground that was made for and by the Esalen Indians. This history along with the observations that I made inside and outside of the studio became the foundation for the work that I produced while in residence and after I left. The pre-existing walls/ easels in the studio or "Art Barn" were covered with traces of paint, reminiscent of cave paintings. These walls were powerful and seemed to retain marks of catharsis for artists that worked there. The works on paper, Untitled 1 – 13 (from Barn Sediment) that I produced became conversations with those artists and myself. I continued by recording their traces of paint onto the edges of blank sheets of paper. This became a strategy to integrate and utilize those remnants, while also beginning each painting with a structure that could then be built upon. Also, for a short duration, the studio was relocated to a tent just outside of the "Art Barn.” A few of the walls were also brought over temporarily and I continued to work with them under new circumstances. I painted them at different times of day, attempting to capture them in a temporary context – our new outdoor workspace. The paintings produced inside and outside of the “Art Barn” became a source of investigation for Pile of Tracks and Point of Conception (yellow studio with Sarah, Olga, and Dasha).
1. Pile of Tracks, 2012
oil and acrylic on canvas
53 x 47 inches
2. Point of Conception (yellow studio with Sarah, Olga, and Dasha), 2012
oil and acrylic on canvas
53 x 47 inches
3. Barn Sediment, 2012
acrylic and acryla-goauche on paper on pre-existing walls
80 x 60 inches
4. Untitled 1–13 (from Barn Sediment) , 2012
acrylic and acryla-goauche on paper
26.625 x 22 inches framed and 22 x 18.5 inches unframed
