Linguistic Progression

These are three paintings I did using the same subject matter- movement. The object I painted from was the head and arched neck of a galloping horse. All three paintings are obviously different, but the title "Linguistic Progression" is supposed to be about the movement of language- its changes over time in any given culture, country, or region- but especially (like the movement of a galloping horse) its changes even in the instance of a single conversation. I consider this series to be a single conversation. The colors in painting #1 vary a great deal and have no clearly defined solid areas- there is notable texture- via brush stroke- all over. But, it gives you the sense that something is happening-that movement is taking place, however, the direction which this movement is going, isn't quite determinable. Painting #2 is more distinguished, and the movement of the piece takes the background to the overlaying compartmentalizing that is going on. The colors meld together better, and don't project as much energy: they are moving toward neutral. Lastly, painting #3 melds the recognizable features of text with ochre neutrals, and occasionally, an obtrusive brush stroke. A lot of people have said they liked this painting most- that it's the most interesting. I wanted to tell the story of an event, but once I started, I wasn't sure where it was moving, or what exactly was appropriate and efficient to recall- so I painted the uncertainty over-top the actual story... The body language of the horse, was in-theory supposed to progress toward the body language of the text- in that I mean, there is a clear understanding of what is going on (there is movement) but what that movement is, and why it's happening, and where it's going- remains ambiguous and uncertain still.