OBVERSE PAINTINGS
by Fred Chuang
COCOON
11" x 14"
After a long hiatus, I revisited my collage technique. In this painting, I originally intended to collage some luna moth wings I had. As I was working, particles of the wings would periodically flake off. Each time, I filled the resulting window with a color. The wings became a progressive mask--in both senses of the word. The scratch in the torso occurred when I laid down the delicate tissue paper image...that "accident" became the connection for the entire painting, hence the title.
I am most pleased with the contrasts in this piece: the colorlessness of the very solid/real torso, the colorfulness of the insubstantial wings. I think that the metamorphic relationship of the real and the spiritual are why this work appeals to so many who see it.
