OBVERSE PAINTINGS
by Fred Chuang
ONTOGENIE
36" x 24"
This
was the very first painting I created primarily from static
electricity! The plastic material that I use, PETG, comes with a thin,
blue, protective film on each side. When I peel it to paint, there is
a static charge that has a rather amorphous "shape." If I rub the
surface, before applying any paint, I can "re-draw" that electrostatic
field. By floating one color over the surface, allowing the charged
surface to draw the pigment down, and then backing that color with one
of significant contrast, I can reveal the pattern of the charge. When
the composition was thus illuminated, I used solvent to take away areas
that I wanted to create greater contrast. The result was an image that
was both embryonic and spooky, and I was reminded of the phrase: "Phylogeny mirrors(recapitulates) ontogeny."
"Phylo-" acknowledges the fetal image that I see here; I replaced the
"-geny" with "-genie," referencing the djinn and acknowledging the
ghostly, supernatural element of this work. Of course, now, in
confirming the reference in order to make this entry, I realize that I
have reversed the quotation...and I will have to rename this piece.
The new name is Ontogenie, not Phylogenie..."Ontogeny" is what I meant to use in reference to the fetal image. :-)
