In preparing for my current show, on until Thursday (Dec 1) at Galleria 814, I made one painting that really is directional for me. It is as stripped down as I would like my work to be at this time, minimalist, well-balanced, loaded with monochromatic colour and the drawing that mark making & words in graphite bring to my work.  (Palabras Amarillas, the ‘yellow’ piece)

I immediately felt that I had reached the kind of statement I wish to make, addressing not only colour and painting but my personal references, and somewhat odd for a forward looking person; the Abstract Expressionists, along with feminist discourse & art making of the 80s & 90s.

My work is conceptual at birth, but this piece represents where I have been wanting to go, an equilibrium.  I seek a kind of meditative state in my work, channeling stillness, and simplicity. Most complexity lies beneath the colour or skin, like a set of blue veins under the epidermis of my hand.
A map to a field of dreams.

I woke up this morning and began to think about my next body of work as linked to the above. I lay there thinking in terms of (again) language.
‘Speaking in Tongues’ came to mind, as a theme, keeping to my thoughts about having something to say & painting/visual art as a tool, gift, celebration, exploration... but also the idea of misunderstanding, miss(ed) communication, incomprehension.
I said “this” but what did you hear?
you said “that”, but what did I hear?


Googled ‘speaking in tongues’:

“Speaking in tongues is the New Testament phenomena where a person speaks in a language that is unknown to him.  This language is either the language of angels or other earthly languages (1 Cor. 13:1).  It occurred in Acts 2 at Pentecost and also in the Corinthian church as is described in 1 Corinthians 14.  This New Testament gift was given by the Holy Spirit to the Christian church and is for the purpose of the edification of the Body of Christ as well as for glorifying the Lord.
There seems to be three divisions in the use of tongues:  First, a private prayer language that is not interpreted; second, a language that is interpreted -- this defines proper usage in the Christian congregation; and third, missionary context -- that is, it appears in the context of evangelism where people (in the New Testament) are presenting the gospel.”

My third division:  The traditional notion of speaking in tongues’ translating to, not being seen or heard. And, speaking heads, poetry readings, Rap, conceptual art, video art, abstract painting, as well as all the sexual subtexts of ‘speaking in tongues’, in an (over?) sexualized era.
The incomprehensible.