Recent Works
March 28 – April 22, 2017
Second Time Around, oil on canvas, 78 x 65 inches, 2017
I paint the commonplace objects that surround me, loosely suggesting my internal and familial narratives, resulting in domestic scenes with simple yet layered storylines. And while narrative is definitely an important driving force in my work, it always remains subservient to the larger formal concerns. To this end, I may run through several narratives in the course of any one painting, in a sense, finding my subject through the process.
Just as I am not bound to the storylines that initially incite a work, I am also not bound to any one way of constructing a piece. And while working from direct observation is my preferred method, I do not consider myself a perceptual purist, regularly finding it necessary to employ other methods of construction. My works are often a composite, formulated from observing several set ups within my studio. I frequently use Photoshop to experiment with pictorial structure and color interactions. When it is not possible to work on a particular passage from life, I work from memory and/or photo references.
My intent is to make images that engage the viewer through both subject matter and underlying aesthetic. I seek to investigate both the isolate domestic moments that surround me and the formal structure of the picture itself. My goal is to create visual situations that challenge the passivity of the spectator.
See more of the artist’s work at www.nicolemccormicksantiago.com
