Chemical Landscapes
My drawings are like chemistry. Chemistry deals with the substances of matter and their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change. In the same way, the drawings in Chemical Landscapes explore a wide range of media and surfaces and how they interact, combine, and change. I used conté crayon, charcoal, graphite, china marker, Sharpie, and various other ink pens on Mylar drawing film to build an organic information architecture.
These drawings comment on the physical and spiritual aspects of life, and specifically resurrection. Man-made structures fade. Cathedrals, clock towers, bridges, and the like are obscured by the chemical storm: the man-made structures are drawn roughly, emphasizing their decay, and the natural architecture—plants, DNA, hands, vines, trees, water—supersedes the man-made architecture by being literally placed on an upper layer. Images burn through, and the translucency of the paper creates a sense of depth.
I was inspired by the drawings of Julie Mehretu, whose work manages to create successful compositions out of seemingly chaotic scenes. I appreciate the sense of balance between volatility and stability in her drawings, and I tried to emulate that sense in my own drawings.
These drawings comment on the physical and spiritual aspects of life, and specifically resurrection. Man-made structures fade. Cathedrals, clock towers, bridges, and the like are obscured by the chemical storm: the man-made structures are drawn roughly, emphasizing their decay, and the natural architecture—plants, DNA, hands, vines, trees, water—supersedes the man-made architecture by being literally placed on an upper layer. Images burn through, and the translucency of the paper creates a sense of depth.
I was inspired by the drawings of Julie Mehretu, whose work manages to create successful compositions out of seemingly chaotic scenes. I appreciate the sense of balance between volatility and stability in her drawings, and I tried to emulate that sense in my own drawings.
