•> CONSTRUCTS OF OUR LIVES <•
3-D Bas-Relief Assemblages
Organized In A Structured
Contemporary Fine Art Exhibition
To Address
Our Four Dimensions Of Living
HEIGHT • WIDTH • DEPTH • TIME
| • | • | • | • |
"THREE TO ONE"
60 X 37.5 X 6
"Creativity takes courage."
... Henri Matisse
Original Inspiration For My Constructs
"ALTARPIECES"
Europe's Great Altarpieces: Their "Genesis-Effect"
• • • • •
During my earliest Art History classes images of magnificent
European "Winged Altarpieces" were shown.
While their theological connotations were subordinated
in order to emphasize their place in art history,
their ability to convey a powerful message by combining 2D & 3D fine art
through thoughtful design, fabrication, and presentation was impressive.
This dynamic has remained with me over years
and eventually became a factor in my commitment to fine art
and to production of my own "CONSTRUCTS".
While my focus explores contemporary secular subject matter,
these altarpieces' visual impact and capacity for messaging
provided a foundation for my current work.
A well-known Altarpiece
(displayed in each of its three possible views).
Each panel and/or sculpture is used
to illustrate a specific Biblical lesson.
('KON • struct) | noun
• A physical thing which is deliberately built or formed
• An idea or theory containing various conceptual elements
(typically one considered subjective and not based on empirical evidence)
"CONSTRUCTS OF OUR LIVES"
Mixed-Media/Assemblage Presented In Bas-relief.
Traditional Fine-Art media & techniques including
Easel Painting, Mono-printing, Drawing, Giclée Printing, Photography, & Sculpture
are intentionally combined with Found/Forsaken Objects
known as "Objets Trouvés".
(Objet Trouve: an object found at random and considered aesthetically pleasing)
Inclusion of "Objets Trouvés" provides a "fourth-dimension",
i.e., reference to - and inclusion of - a passage of time.
How each of us interprets this transition of our days or years
creates our personal encounter with past experiences,
thus ensuring each piece is "one-of-a-kind".
"REFLECTIONS OF YOU AND ME #1"
72 X 46 X 4
"Each piece seems to be a request . . .
for understanding and empathy.”
... Studio Visitor
"HEATWAVE #1"
31 X 37.5 X 3
(Detail)
"I can never accomplish what I want,
only what I would have wanted
had I thought of it beforehand."
... Richard Diebenkorn
"ALL OUR MUSES #1"
60 X 56 X 7.5
"Three dimensions are real space
and actual space is intrinsically more powerful and specific
than paint on a flat surface."
... Donald Judd
"MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE #1"
34 X 39.5 X 4
"Search. But in order to find other than what is searched for."
... Richard Diebenkorn
"OK - YOU HAVE 99.6% OF MY DNA, BUT YOU CAN KEEP IT"
26.5 X 60 X 4.5
"I want a very ordered image, but I want it to come about by chance."
... Francis Bacon
"SAFE HOUSE #1"
45.5 X 66.5 X 10
"Home ownership seemed beyond our family's reach during my childhood. After college, it became attainable when I entered the world of residential construction just to put food on my table. Today that craftsman tradition of a home-building is critical to my studio work.
A simple "House" icon may resonate with any viewer for various reasons - for me it is symbolic of that pivot-point in my creative arc and an important accomplishment."
... Mark Gould
"OUR SECOND CHANCE #1"
48 X 60 X 5
"I believe my CONSTRUCTS give Forsaken and Found Objects -and myself-
an important 'Second Chance'. Hence my quiet inclusion of 'Pairings' and/or the number 'Two' in certain of my compositions.
We all deserve a Second Chance.
I appreciate that notion as I’ve come to grips with the fact I won’t get a third."
... Mark Gould
"DO I VISIT YOU?"
29 X 54 X 6
• SOLD •
"The mystery lies in the irrationality by which you make appearance;
if it is not irrational, you make illustration."
... Francis Bacon
"LIFE IN MOTION - WHERE ARE WE GOING"
42 X 84 X 6
( Detail)
"The verb 'Abstract' literally means to extract, remove, or separate.
In this sense every visual artist is abstract
for they must create their work from personal visual impressions."
"THE HOUR FLOWS AWAY"
14.5 X 85.5 X 6
• SOLD •
"We can all view the same scene, but I will perceive a meaning no one else does,
simply because of the filter of my own unique life experience.
It is germane to all our lives that when we look, each sees something different.
My CONSTRUCTS are an articulation of this difference."
... Mark Gould
"WHITE WARNING ONE"
14.5 X 21 X 4
"In a sense I’m a thief.
I pilfer the hidden meanings of found objects,
then abscond with my audience’s personal connotations.
I run these stolen components through my own “visual chop-shop”
and build my CONSTRUCTS out of all this fresh plunder.
I’m always trying to stay one or two steps ahead of the law of visual boredom."
... Mark Gould
"TIME PASSES - SO DO WE"
57 X 30 X 4
Q: "Are these pieces anachronistic or overly sentimental?"
A: "Inclusion of a Found or Forsaken Object calls for a step back
into its usually unknown history and ambiguous background.
This history can summon personal memories of past questions and decisions made
and of life-lessons learned.
Often this retrospect conveys a new level of prestige to that object when presented
through innovative juxtaposition, thus eclipsing any previous nostalgic limitations."
... Mark Gould
"THINKING FOR YOURSELF #1"
31 X 42 X 5.5
"My creative efforts allow a visual dialogue with my audience.
I try to be respectful and serene with my CONSTRUCTS -
perhaps even gracious to some degree.
But no one should be allowed to see the brusque artistic battle
of my "pulling the thorn out" - nor the absolute relief this brings."
... Mark Gould
EPILOGUE
I try to create works that eclipse walls,
transcend space,
and captivate any viewer's attention,
beginning with their first glimpse
and continuing after their exit from its presence.
Like any performer, I seek to command my audience.
I want my work to linger in their subconscious for days and years.
I'm always asking myself:
"Is this the best I can do?"
"Does it deliver all essentials?"
"Is my audience elevated by my work?"
I think any good artist continually asks some big questions
and hopefully provides a path to answers.
| • | • | • | • |
TECHNICAL ORIGINS:
"CONSTRUCTS OF OUR LIVES"
A BFA as well as innumerable figure drawing & painting sessions
in concert with residential design/construction, furniture/cabinetry fabrication,
and eventually Museum Exhibition/Trade Show design & production,
all contributed to creation of my Constructs exhibition.
Various & wide-ranging sets of media and techniques are utilized:
assemblage of original/replicate artifacts & found objects,
custom fabrication of required supports & vessels/containers,
collage of photographs, text, etching, mono-printing & gicleé printing,
as well as traditional drawing/painting/sculpture.
Continual testing new visual combinations to communicate
is not a choice, but a requirement.
My Constructs eventually emerged from this long-term, eclectic process.
