transparency. Jeremy Fahringer

I paint to communicate, to synthesize and deal with memories and collective history. My art is the creation of painted objects that reflect reality, eroding the line between Western abstraction and figuration. Abstraction is a process of memory and expression. It takes elements and ideas from observed reality and results in synthesized composites of imagery and emotion.

I paint with muted and monochromatic palettes, building up rich colors by a process of thin glazes of acrylic paint and ink. I often begin with a set of images and thoughts tangentially relating to a singular concept, referencing silhouettes and images as starting points.

The image and object is a record of time, of creative and destructive process. The silky smooth gesso surface built upon wood and Masonite panels allows gravity to interact with thinned paint, leaving drips and blended edges as traces of the process. Addition of layers of heavily thinned color veils and subsequent erosion by water and sanding reflect the effects of time on memories and the process of recording history. This results in murky deep atmospheres populated by concepts, landscapes, and mark.

As I work with hundreds of thin layers, the process of creating and erosion reminds me of the indelible marks and connections that shape the way my mind works, the way that I remember and the nonlinear effects of time on identity and ideas. My work doesn't provide easy answers or finished thoughts, instead requiring interaction with the process and content. I am interested in the way complex lives and experiences are abstracted and rebirthed to create individual memories and meaningful histories.

Relics is a series dealing with communal memory and the ascribing of historical and spiritual value. Intricate and layered, the paintings are objectified through patinaed nails piercing the surface to attach to a wooden support. The series is based largely upon almost a year of observation and reflection within the abandoned upper floors of a derelict hospital, now made church. Forgotten objects and space interact in stillness, still affected by time.