TRAINWRECK - A COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS BY IAN BURCROFF - 05/19/17
Otto’s Abode is pleased to present a month-long exhibition of busy and colorful acrylic paintings by Ian Burcroff.
Burcroff received a BA in Studio Art from SUNY Plattsburgh and went on to receive an MFA in Painting from the University of Alaska. The seven paintings on display in this exhibition - which he writes: “...are approached with a spirit of improvisation...” - were created between 2012 and 2016 and depict the explorative and evolving nature of his work through repeated imagery and examination of color, space and form.
The exhibition is on view in Otto’s Abode at 6 Hamele Street in Wanakena, NY from May 2nd-28th 2017. A celebration of the exhibition – which is free and open to the public – will be held 5-8pm Friday, May 19th.
My recent paintings involve a process of pictorial dissection. Each composition contains multiple visual fields that contain pictorial impressions of places and objects; metaphorically relating these to broader symbolic themes.
Each painting is approached with a spirit of improvisation. Very little is planned or drawn beforehand. The images consist of fragmented concepts both real and imagined that give a sense of movement within a two-dimensional space. Information is layered and often stacked on top of patterns and color fields; creating rapid visual changes. Paint application differs in areas of the canvas; it can be additive or subtractive, painstaking or expressive. Each painting is carefully “built” and is constructed almost like a puzzle.
The paintings evolve according to an individualized process that involves constant editing. This process relies on the intense hues, plasticity and quick-drying properties of acrylic paint. Each painting has layers and layers of painted imagery under the finished composition. This “editing” process feels natural to me, and seems to heighten the tension within each composition. Even the smallest painting may take a month or more to complete. In terms of hours spent working in the studio, each painting usually has 50 hours or more invested. These compositions are not easy to create. The process is laborious and introspective; 10 paintings may represent 2 or more years of steady work. I paint one painting at a time until it feels finished.
