Michaux has written about the sense of "being piloted" while making art, and it is this sense of 'flow' that interests me most - the creative impulse that seems to appear out of nowhere. I often see painting as a challenge to uncover some deeply hidden structure, and it is in this process of searching that I find myself longing to reveal some larger truth about the nature of perception. Only when I am convinced of the presence of an inherent connectivity in the work do I feel that the painting is going well. Mistakes in the mark making process generally prove to be most valuable in uncovering this structure, and what begins as a systematic series of marks can often devolve into a morass of broken arcs, half starts and erasures. The lines between painting and drawing become blurred. The animator’s sketch comes to mind.
While I paint it feels like I'm mimicking the simultaneity of my everyday experiences. Reflective surfaces work to this end, and metallic surfaces suggest to me mirroring, doubling, invisibility and glamour. I like the idea of a painting that cannot be viewed in one way only. Different viewing angles and environments reflect light in ways that alter perception of a painting. This relates to the way I function in my environment, constantly looking into and through screens, veils of meaning, both literal and illusory, receiving and assembling scattered blobs of information, making loopy associations between image, text and language. Through painting I am able to relive and project this experience of confusion, depth and ecstasy. In this way it is like free jazz, open-source code, or improvisational comedy.
Richard Feaster
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