Painting for me is about an idea, more specifically the idea of a contemplative object. It is an object that that carries with it a reflective quality on the nature of beauty. As a painter I am concerned with some very formal attributes of painting; namely color, composition, texture, depth, illusion and the emotive/spiritual qualities they evoke to arrive at this end.
I often use the semblance of a grid as a net of rationality over what appears to be a chaotic or myopic painting. As a technical device the contrasting grid increases the depth of field, and suggests some measure of objectivity over a seemingly chaotic / amorphous painting. It also helps perceptually to bring the viewer back to the surface, and maintain an overall focus; giving equal bearing to all elements in the piece. The images presented are intentionally ambiguous if they are identifiable at all, shifting emphasis on the intuition of the viewer.
The use of saturated color, with a soft focus of composition, holds a mild tension that evokes this meditative quality. All said, and done, these paintings are intended as reflective objects.
Some of the exhibitions in which I have been included are the Berkshire Museum of Art, Whistler House Museum of Art, University of Massachusetts Gallery, The Danforth Museum, and the Pleiades, and Viridian Galleries both in New York. Additionally my work is in various public collections; The Enterprise Bank in Lowell, Fidelity Investments, and New England Life Insurance, both in Boston, MA are a few. Private collections include Germany, The Netherlands, Ireland, and the US.
I received my painting degree from Massachusetts College of Art, B.F.A., and a Masters Degree from Cambridge College with a thesis on Human Response to Color.
Dan Rocha