"it's not it's pretty"
Mixed media paintings by Daniel Gloyd
Milan Kundera observed that one "could watch the poles of human existence come so close to each other as to touch, when there was no longer any difference between sublime and squalid, angel and fly, God and shit." There is a moment when some change in the viewer, or the viewer's circumstance, or the thing that is being viewed causes a transition in perception. The transition often bridges two extremes. Tragic can become romantic, clumsy can become graceful. The meek inherit the earth (Sublime and squalid, angel and fly, God and shit). I believe this is a spiritual phenomenon, one that surfaces frequently in our culture; to err is human, to forgive divine. Human, divine. Mortal, immortal. Ugly, beautiful.
This body of work represents my observations of this moment of transition. Many of these paintings attempt to portray it as earnestly as one might attempt to capture the fleeting sunlight in a landscape, or a heroic personality in a portrait. The title of this exhibit, and one of the paintings, is "it's not it's pretty." This phrase is itself representative of a moment of transition, a chunk of rhetoric taken out of context at the precise moment the speaker is persuading an audience to see something differently.
My efforts to capture this phenomenon take precedence over all physical characteristics of my subjects as I alter the contexts within which familiar images are presented. Landscapes, lacking trees and hills, are recognizable only by the existence of a horizon, animals are without natural habitat, and towering architectural spires are not planted on the ground. The phenomenon is immersed in emotional, not logical qualities so I appeal to my viewer with aesthetics. The work relies on viewer empathy and sympathy. I want you to think these paintings are beautiful, this is the entry point to further dialogue with the imagery.
All of these paintings are acrylic and mixed media (oil pastel, crayon, and applied material such as newspaper or fabric) on printmaking paper. I apply colors in layers, then scrape and sand the surfaces to remove much of the paint and then repeat the process. The resulting textures resemble surfaces that have been exposed to weather over time. I am greatly influenced by early Christian and Byzantine religious iconography, I am especially drawn to the textures of these beautiful images, which have decayed over the centuries. These paintings gain new and profound beauty as their decaying paint surfaces contrast with the religious themes and gentle humanity of the artists' techniques. I have often attempted to emulate this phenomenon as part of the dichotomy of extremes expressed in my own work.
This work is meant to be viewed with sensitivity to your own emotional responses to the imagery. It is what each of you bring to the work that determines whether it will resonate with meaning or not. Think not of the intended message of the artist, but rather let your own interpretations surface to form a personal connection with the work.
DMG
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