Gordon Mortensen
As an observer, I am intrigued by scenarios that appear to be nothing more than layers and layers of noisy, visual, random choas.
The unexpected juxtaposition of colors, lines, shapes, orientation and textures can at first seem overwhelming,
but if you look closely you can find stunning color combinations, texture, and structure within the chaos that is unlike anything you could plan or conceive.
The potential for something profoundly expressive is just waiting to be discovered. When I’m painting, my motivation comes from trying to capture and exploit the energy contained within the chaos.
Because my initial focus is on discovery, I begin by deliberately creating a feeling of chaos as a base foundation for my paintings.
Sometimes the foundation is simply layers of color while at other times I’ll create an underlying system of dynamic lines, shapes, colors and textures (sometimes randomly, sometimes loosely controlled).
When satisfied with the foundation, I’ll coat the entire area with a single color and then begin to selectively remove portions of the topcoat to reveal what’s beneath.
Often I’ll draw shapes over the mash of colors and textures and then look for areas I can combine or capture within the randomness.
Finally, I harness the energy and the discovered personality by combining the disorder with deliberateness into the final painting.
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