Rectangles and Squares, No. 1
Charcoal and graphite on paper
19 x 24 inches
Here, a minimalist composition is built from a light graphite ground and a 3×4 grid, with two central squares — one medium gray, one deep black — forming a secondary rectangle. The work balances symmetry and tonal contrast through a restrained interplay of rectangles and squares.
This work continues a process of stripping down and rebuilding my drawing practice. Balance is a key consideration, with a focus on composition and value relationships. An exploration of Renaissance compositional techniques continues, employing a strict grid as scaffolding for the arrangement of forms.
The sheet preserves a strong white border which, along with the even, almost mechanical application of tone, recalls printmaking. The faint graphite ground allows the underlying grid to remain visible. Within this structure, the two central squares act as counterweighted members, playing foreground against background. The title invites closer inspection, with all these elements — border, grid, figure and ground — joining to reveal shapes within shapes, rectangles within squares within rectangles. The finished work is a meditation on how harmony can be achieved with the most basic visual elements — dark and light, shape and proportion, spatial relationships — without recourse to mark-making, gesture or narrative.
This work continues a process of stripping down and rebuilding my drawing practice. Balance is a key consideration, with a focus on composition and value relationships. An exploration of Renaissance compositional techniques continues, employing a strict grid as scaffolding for the arrangement of forms.
The sheet preserves a strong white border which, along with the even, almost mechanical application of tone, recalls printmaking. The faint graphite ground allows the underlying grid to remain visible. Within this structure, the two central squares act as counterweighted members, playing foreground against background. The title invites closer inspection, with all these elements — border, grid, figure and ground — joining to reveal shapes within shapes, rectangles within squares within rectangles. The finished work is a meditation on how harmony can be achieved with the most basic visual elements — dark and light, shape and proportion, spatial relationships — without recourse to mark-making, gesture or narrative.