A Flock of Concrete Blocks: the mission statement develops...

As many of you know, I have been painting individual cement blocks as separate entities. Each painting stood on its own as one in a series. Recently, however, I’ve wanted them to begin interacting with one another. I designed a few “couples” to see if an attitude or mood could be achieved. Sure enough, as the blocks began to relate to one another, they became more animate.  When I introduced a third character, the dynamic increased, just as it would with humans. The obvious evolution was to larger groups of cement blocks, which I call my “flocks.”

 

The term “flock” connotes a number of entities acting as a cohesive group, with inherent social characteristics. Because flocks of birds or sheep share similar characteristics with human crowds, the concrete block flocks can be a metaphor for the human condition.

Each flock will have its own dynamic. They can feel exuberant, threatening, organized, chaotic, foreboding, or optimistic. They can be site specific, designed to fit a particular venue space. The light source will be the same for all the flocks, so there is a potential for two or more flocks to intermingle or to confront one another.

In my mind's eye, I can see a wide expanse of wall strewn with large-scale cement blocks tumbling, floating, and soaring across the surface. This concept, though embryonic, is extremely exciting to me. I feel strongly that it will be the direction of my artwork for years to come. 

The drawing above is simply a sketch. The final result will be highly realistic concrete blocks painted in acrylic on silk. Each of the individual blocks will be a separate painting and rendered larger than life. Now the real work begins. It's new territory for me, which is at once exhilarating and scary. In future posts, I will share with my legions of faithful readers the blow by blow development of my first flock. Please come back often, and know how much I appreciate each and every page-view. Google is starting to find me, and it is thanks to readers like you. Take care and have a super week.