"Every something is a celebration of the nothing that supports it"  John Cage

Gateless Gate

 

In the Gateless Gate painted collages I invite the viewer to stop, take a breath, and appreciate the expansiveness of the moment. I paint in acrylic on museum board and collage cut pieces onto a similar “background.” In the final image, there is no “background”, only an integrated whole. I enjoy the handcrafted nature of the collage technique and paint many layers to create the depth and illumination of the surfaces. I keep the collaged pieces attached with tape for a long time before gluing them down so I can keep changing the color, position and shape until it reaches a balance. I look for luminosity, liveliness, breathing room, presence. Some Gateless Gate are already mounted on panels, others can be mounted or framed. The 12x12 and 18x18 squares can be displayed in groups of any number.

 

In Buddhist philosophy the word “gate” refers to an entry point into a deeper experience of reality. This entry point or gate can be anywhere or anytime, but an obvious example would be the practice of meditation. In one form of meditation, a person sits still and observes one’s inhalation and exhalation as a swinging door between our ordinary perception and another, more open, experience of reality. Since the person is just sitting there, they have not gone anywhere or through any gate, thus it is a gateless gate.

 

I am thinking of these paintings as a gateless gate. I experience the process of painting as an entry into a more expansive reality. I use color and simple shapes to compose images that are a vessel for spaciousness.

 

 

"There is no rest except on these branching moments"  Rumi

Shapeshifters

 

Is it a painting? Is it a sculpture? An artist’s book? A miniature screen? Shapeshifters are one-of-a-kind folding artworks designed to create a small space in which to let your imagination roam free. In Shapeshifters I play with expansion and contraction and differing viewpoints, as well as offering the possibility of interaction by the viewer. The folding format alludes to the unfolding of time and space and offers the potential of change and new vision. Shapeshifters are constructed from museum board with mulberry paper hinges. The acrylic paint is applied in layers to create depth and luminosity. Meditative, expansive, reminiscent of many eras, each Shapeshifter is a unique artwork, a place to rest and let your mind wander.