Right Now (and Yesterday)

A collection of paintings that celebrate abstraction as an invitation to examine our human experience. Recent Work by Caiti Chan.

Gallery

Exibition Dates: September 25, 2017 - October 19, 2017

Artist Statement

My art practice is process driven, focusing on the materials being used, while color and texture push the image towards finality. In the process of making the paintings, my internal transformations are reflected in the work. Emotions derived from my individual humanity are the core to my studio process, and drive the reasons why and how I use certain materials. Currently this includes salt, isopropyl alcohol, and cellophane to make the paintings. These materials I use not only speak to my own background, but hope to connect to the viewer’s unique experience. Experimentation and serendipity drive the making, collaborating with the unknown.

These most recent works focused on reusing and resurrecting certain materials in the studio. This included a process in which I took cellophane wrap and laid it upon wet paint in order to leave behind its texture. I did this with the same piece of cellophane not once, but twice or more times. This material is shared upon many surfaces, leaving behind color and texture from its previous use. In the studio, I wanted a way to give what was seen as disposable multiple chances at contributing to the work. I looked at the material as a shared object not to be used once then discarded. Recent paintings are all connected into one process in this way, coming full circle, reflecting on a cumulative inward growth this past year. These studio practices worked hand in hand with my thoughts on self-worth and the ways I have revolutionized how I view myself.

—Caiti Chan