ART Statement

S C A T T E R E D    B R A I N S T O R M S
Series, 2019

oil pastel on paper

12 x 18 in (30.48 x 45.72 cm)

by ARCO IRIS

In a series of oil pastel abstractions, Arco Iris harkens back to the Surrealist technique of automatism, which sought to illuminate the workings of an artist's subconsciousness. The moody swashes of earthy pastels express the stimulations and fragmentations of a mind battered by the chaos of modern existence. In a culture where speedy swiping and short attention spans have become the norm, these works play on the need for "slow seeing" to gradually tease out the sparks of wonder glimmering in the murky storms of subconsiousness. Do they convey a breakdown of mental thought, or a wild medley of ideas slowly coalescing into artful beauty?     

Words by OZ Mendoza