Artist Statement
I seek to create meditative fields of time and space on paper and canvas. Imagery falls away leaving works of no time and no identifiable space; I am seeking a sense of the place, the intrinsic nature of the season or the essence of a flower.
Each piece begins with a grid. I methodically lay out a pattern of usually half-inch squares in pencil and then set out to fill in each square one at a time. The work takes a long time and when interrupted, sometimes for days, I know exactly where to come back to when I am able. The grids have become anchors for me. The square conveys strength, foundation, rootedness and has been recognized as such by architects, engineers, artists, and mathematicians in many cultures throughout history. I’ve moved four times in four years, prefaced by an artist residency in Mendocino. Through all these changes, I am compelled to release my complicated attachments and return to this foundation I’ve used at various times for over 30 years.
My tai chi practice and teaching, and my love of walking and running in the outdoors has greatly influenced my art. I’ve studied with Angeles Arrien and learned The Four Fold Way: to show up, tell the truth, stay in your integrity and then let go. In tai chi we learn the form, do the form, absorb the form and then let go of the form.
Similarly, in my paintings and drawings, I begin by drawing the grid, filling in the squares and then layering several coats of pencil or paint over the whole grid until the work comes together and feels complete. At such times, the stillness is larger than the individual sections and I am ready to begin again.
Gloria Matuszewski 2010 |
