abstract art
Welcome to Abstract Art
Although I have grouped this body of work into the construct of ‘abstract,’ these art quilts may be considered as belonging to the modern and contemporary art genres as well.
The art quilts in this gallery room are inspired and influenced by various art movements. I have found inspiration from the Mission-style furniture of the late 1800s to the sleek mid-20th century designs. Artists such as Andy Warhol, Christo, and Mark Rothko have been influential, as have Miles Davis and John Coltrane with their ideas of free jazz that breaks down a conventional theme and improvises an avant-garde sound. Taking an improvised sound and recreating what I hear with fabric and thread has been a constructive challenge. One of my favorite aspects of all of these art movements is the perception of minimalism. Sometimes that which seems the least complicated is actually the most complicated. In my art quilts, I may depict this in the play between white space and color, or in the use of lines and fabric to create a sense of movement or hint at emotions without defining them.
The art quilts that you see in this body of work may superficially be considered aesthete and appear distinct from one another in part because of my use of color and style. Yet, each art quilt tells its own important story even if it is something as seemingly simple as depicting the feelings I have when the wind blows across the desert. However, this body of work share common themes, such as freedom (to breathe one’s own air, for example), unrestraint (by expectation of some kind), and encouragement (to be oneself).
2023
Being & Becoming (2023)
Being & Becoming is an artistic expression of the concept that we as beings are wholes unto ourselves but are at the same time parts of the greater whole. Appearing to float upon a fabric reminiscent of a star field, each mandala is created in fabric with heavy beading and colorful threads representing the ideas presented in Plato’s dialogue Timaeus: we are at once an entire, albeit imperfect, universe in our existence, and an infinitesimally small part of the vaster and unknowable Universe that surrounds and encompasses us. Regardless of our existence, the Universe exists; yet without us there is no awareness of the Universe.
Influenced also in part by Thich Nhat Hanh’s quote, “The whole cosmos has come together to create you. You carry the whole cosmos inside you. That is why, to accept yourself and to love yourself is an expression of gratitude,” Being & Becoming is an artistic depiction of our gentle and compassionate relationship to ourselves and the greater Universe of which we are a part.
Each colorful mandala is a doorway to understanding ourselves as beings already in existence and at the same time in the process of becoming. Individually they represent a personal universe and identity. Collectively, they may portray the stages of our lifetimes much like the seasons of the earth. Being & Becoming is therefore a depiction of our unique journeys in life: who we are in relation to ourselves, to society, to humanity, to our universe, and to the greater Universe of which ours is only a small part. Which mandala(s) speaks to you?
23” H x 25” W
$525
2021
Untitled (with brushstrokes) (2021)
“Untitled (with brushstrokes)” is minimalist in appearance, yet maximalist in execution. From a distance one sees a field of differing colors; but an intimate view reveals the intricate and deliberate placement of the fabrics, the choices of thread colors, and the resulting texture, demonstrating many dynamic and emotional complexities.
Influenced, in part, by the Christo team, this artwork pursues freedom from all restrictions. Also inspired by Mark Rothko’s fields of color, this art quilt frees colors from their shapes, explores motion without the relationship to movement, and emits passion without the relationship to emotion. The artwork exists without any instruction or definition as to what it should be.
“Untitled (with brushstrokes)” is a soul-portrait, depicting a complex existence that is undefinable, limitless, unrestricted, and demanding complete freedom. This artwork is a pure experience of that vastness of unrestricted and unbound self: it cannot be defined and has no other purpose than merely to exist.
40” H x 35” W
$2600
2019
Desert Wind: Circles (2019)
“Desert Wind: Circles” is deceptively simple but its intricate quilting belies that impression. The central fabric colors and pattern stand out at first glance (minimalism). Yet a closer viewing reveals the complex concentric designs (maximalism).
Inspired, in part, by the pottery and jewelry designs of the Hopi and other Southwest Pueblo Cultures, this artwork depicts the ever-blowing winds across the plains of the high mountain desert with its appearance of vast nothingness. Although sometimes these are gentle breezes, sometimes violent thunderstorms, or blinding blizzards, they are always ceaselessly blowing.
“Desert Wind: Circles” is a nostalgic view of my childhood in the mountain foothills of New Mexico. It evokes feelings of expansive space, but the ceaseless winds wrap the viewer in a familiar comfort.
Size: 21.25” W x 29” H
UNAVAILABLE
Darkwind (2019)
“Darkwind” is a contemporary study of space, movement, and texture. Its simple linear pattern and use of only three colors is juxtaposed against the softer quilting of circles and sinuous lines.
This piece is a conceptualization of the feelings of being trapped behind the constraints of society, family, judgment, and even one’s own being. The breath emanates from the heart of the artwork, gently flowing upwards, creating air currents behind and through the lattice, generating movement and a sense of liberation despite the heavily textured fabric.
“Darkwind” is a sigh of relief that comes from our hearts and releases us from the constraints that keep us from breathing.
Size: 55” (139.7 cm) W x 53” (134.6 cm) H
$1300