Randall LaGro
Artist Statement
August, 2012
Observing with concern these times in which we are living weighs on my mind as I continue on the path of what I consider the artist’s calling. Rather than being reactionary to political or social issues, I am returning to the course of intuitive painting with an empathetic appeal to our humanity. I find that we possess dichotomous natures: glorious and volatile, earthly and spiritual capacities. Thus, the surfaces I paint are layered like a tapestry, reflective of our lives.
Beginning completely abstract, I work fast and immediate—only considering balance, harmony, and color with an order above chaos. Into this volcanic under-painting, images tend to appear referencing the material world. This juxtaposition between abstract and reality can be read as multiple metaphors. But, what I am conveying is the fact that everything is in constant movement. Rather than perfectly caressed brush strokes making an image, I celebrate the endearing awkwardness of being human, along with the elegance. The paint is thrown, scratched, and slashed. Sand or mica is often thrown in, as well as, dry pigments and gold leaf. Art is more about evidences, rather than conclusions.
Therefore, the paintings are impressions excavated from materials and the dance and battle pushed to and fro in the experience of painting. I listen and remain open to impulse and guidance, yet leaving room for mystery in the movement of the paint. Images are often transparent, or morphing into something else, as well as evolving or growing. I trust there is a balance keeping each piece from flying off into oblivion, just as we anchor ourselves in the cosmos and chaos.
It is about living in a delicate equilibrium, in a precarious yet beautiful balance, and ever in a state of becoming.
