In the studio today

4x4x4 @ EDGE in Denver, CO.

The Immigration Game: Chutes, acrylic on canvas.

I currently four tiny paintings on view in the exhibit 4x4x4 at EDGE in Denver, CO.  

Four paintings measuring 4"x4".

Theses small paintings came about through email exchanges with Denver painter Jennifer Hope, who invited me to participate in the exhibit.  Our desire was to have both our contributions relate to one another, if not as a direct collaboration.  Jennifer was interested in tackling the subject of immigration reform 4" at a time.  I was game, and what followed was a back and forth that brought us to perceiving the subject as a game itself.  On all levels of the subject of immigration you have opposing forces at odds, with quite different objectives and strategies for attaining those objectives.  I was most engaged with imagining an objectification of the game on the ground; those physically maneuvering to gain entrance and stability here in this Candy Land and those working to prevent breaches in the border, and root out those interlopers who have gained purchase on the board.

The Immigration Game: Rolling Bones, acrylic on canvas, cotton sock.

We looked immediately to the notion of board games and the imagery therein and that moved our conversation forward.  I haven't seen Jennifer's final works, or the nature of our joint installation, but I'm anxious to see how it turned out.

The making of these works intersected with a moment of learning to read Ellsworth Kelly's Chatham Series of paintings that are currently on view at MoMA through September 8.  It's not a body of work that immediately speaks to me, so I spent some intention filled time working through my relationship with this work which in turn, influenced greatly the direction of these four tiny things.  Another process of initial intent and subsequent forays into fancy.   Almost by unconscious default, the result is a repeated expression of oppositional dualities. 

The Immigration Game: Ladders, acrylic on canvas.

The Immigration Game: For Us/Porous, acrylic on canvas.

4x4x4 is on view through July 14th.  There will be a second reception at EDGE on Friday, July 5 from 6-10pm.


The complete list of participating artists are:

Colby Brumit w/ Barbara Hale
Laura Phelps Rogers w/ Joe Short
Jessica Loving w/ Chris Campos
Rachael Amos w/ Sarah Clark
Faith Williams w/ Kevin Bell
Gayla Lemke w/ Marieke Bauer
Jennifer Hope w/ Chris Albert
Genevieve Yazzie w/ Susan Erikson
Dania Pettus w/ Sarah Doremus
Frederick Pichon w/ Madeleine Dodge
Michael McGrath
Dennis Stowell