LIMINALITY
IN PAINT

Artist Statement

Liminality

Definition: The transitional period of a rite of passage, during which a participant lacks social status or rank, or the space between two opposing localities.

The constant presence of liminality in my paintings accurately depicts its importance. Liminality means more than a period of a personal rite of passage; it also represents the literal and metaphorical space between two naturally opposing forces, the heretofore described “in-between-grey-area.” My art depicts this abstract concept by my choice of color, my subject matter, and my technique. The limited color palettes I utilize are the so-called “in-between” colors that are muted and subdued: they are not too bright or too dark, but evenly tread the middle ground between mighty opposites.

Being inspired by nature, I favor the juxtaposition of heaven and earth in order to show the natural struggle for dominance between these two powers present in any landscape. This juxtaposition, captured in such naturally occurring instances of this conflict as the sunset, sunrise, and dusk, conveys that struggle and transition between any two phases: thus its liminality.

Finally, I bring the concept of the Liminal not only to my art but also to my technique and composition. I am inspired with studies of the natural world, but once the process of painting has begun, I allow intuition and creativity to control my brush as I oscillate between cognitive and instinctive painting. It is as if I dwelled in that mental space that utilizes and yet transcends rational and premeditated thought. My own warring state of mind mirrors the transitional quality of the liminal struggle portrayed on the canvas as the blank and painted portions of the canvas wars thus with itself.