"The painting is an immediate response to the interior architectural space of my studio. In this empty pared down, simplified space I have integrated dynamically two opposites. On one hand I render the illusion of depth, with references to all things historical and cultural and on the other hand I emphasize the flatness of the surface with an aestheticbased on clarity of logic and concept. I enjoy the tension that this combination creates, challenging the viewer's perception of the space. My practice is inspired by the book 'The Poetics of Space' by the French Phenomenologist Gaston Bachelard which focuses on the way we experience intimateplaces, and how our perceptions of houses and other shelters shape our thoughts, memories and dreams. The number seven is one of the most significant numbers in science, mathematics, literature, the classical world, as well as in the Holy Bible. In the painting the seven steps of the stairway at the heart of the design act as a symbolic reference to the stairway to Heaven as well as a metaphor for the seven days of the Creation. |
