Synthesis 2008

In nature everything is made up of smaller parts. Even the tiniest unit of matter, the atom, is composed of subatomic particles. There are theories that even subatomic particles are made up of smaller bits called strings that are so small that they are, as yet, undetectable. Who knows?

Synthesis, or the combining of parts into a whole, allows us to have molecules, and cells, and plants and animals of all kinds. It is the process that creates human beings, complex technology, and all the stuff we love so much. The matter and energy in our universe is a result of the synthesis of many elements and forces.

Of course, this probably seems very simple and obvious. It is, yet we rarely think of the complexity, order and energy it takes for the tiny parts to make up a banana or a building.

Painting is the result if synthesis also. When shape, color, line, and content come together, something interesting happens that is more than any of those individual things.

This group of work is the result of thinking about how paintings and matter get put together. Each of the paintings in this show is made of lots of parts. there are also empty spaces because the paintings just wanted to be like that.

Atoms and molecules have a lot of space between their particles of matter. In our big universe most things are not completely solid; so I guess paintings can be like that too, matter and space.