|
Presented
concurrently with "Connections 2003 - Texas Sculpture Association"
New
Works by Bob Bird
Curated
by Joe P. Davis
CURATOR'S
STATEMENT:
The work of Bob Bird is comfortably situated between the seemingly
opposed forces of biomorphic abstraction and the more hard-edged
pure abstraction of Piet Mondrian’s "neoplasticism."
Mr. Bird’s abstractions deal with obvious subject matter:
exotic plants, animals, automobiles, the internal workings of
machines, diagrams, and systems of life. Mr. Bird’s notions
of abstraction are not new, nor is his subject matter. He is,
however, very successful at expanding our visual vocabulary as
viewers.
In the early work of Mr. Bird we see ellipses, circles, and egg
shapes playing out different roles in seemingly metaphysical narratives.
His newer work seems to be less narrative. Instead of telling
us a story, he seems to be providing for the viewer to have a
greater personal experience with the actual objectness of the
painting. Several obvious dualities exist in this work. The early
narrative work presents us with those age-old dualities or oppositions:
male and female, parent and child, or predator and prey. The newer
work presents more subtle dualities: what is real versus what
is represented and the illusion of picture plane versus the surface
of the canvas.
Ultimately, we are left with work that appeals to both the universal
notions of truth and reality as well as work that seems deeply
personal and very beautiful. This is the plastic Mondrian spoke
of. The dualities do not seem uncomfortable or forced. Rather,
they seem the logical conclusions of a thoughtful working artist
in response to his environment and personal experiences.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Painting for just over ten years, my style attitude and approach
to art has changed. The transitions my life has gone through have
affected the painting process. A natural tendency to strive for
what is better in life and to resist change is a constant struggle
for me. Exploring different aspects of dualities or polarities
functions as the content for my work.
My earliest biomorphic pieces use the egg, circle, and ellipse
as characters existing in an abstract space. The egg is a feminine
signifier, the circle male and the ellipse neutral but equally
potent in its mystical capabilities. These shapes and their corresponding
environments lend to metaphysical narratives. Some shape, color,
and compositions make reference to plants and animals. Others
are linked to mechanical and electronic systems.
More important than a narrative, duality, systems theories, or
context is the creation of an aesthetically meaningful picture.
My recent work uses an expanding visual vocabulary in an attempt
to create an experience, rather than tell a story. Experimenting
with color and brushwork reveal more of the artist’s hand
at work than a completely refined or pre-determined painting would.
The precision retained in my work reflects a passion for design
and the craft of painting. The aesthetic I am after exists between
what visual information is available (illusion) and the surface
of the picture plane (material). At various points, a viewer will
see the illusion and then switch to seeing the material. I am
fascinated by the illusion/material phenomenon and find it to
be a valuable component in my work. Creating a piece that engages
my own aesthetic response, and also the viewer’s is the purpose
of my work. I would liken the type of aesthetic I strive for to
chasing an ever-changing but perceptible force.
.
|
