Along with a few others artists in the world of body suspension, I have had this recurring aesthetic of white rope against black backgrounds. I’ve come to realize this is just a dark and stark aesthetic that resonates with most folks who explore the deeper facets of the body suspension experience. Maybe the liminal nature of the experience that attracts us to it, is part of a shared dark void we like to float our concepts in.
I have repeatedly looked back at my work over the years and said “damnit, all my shit is high contrast, black backgrounds, and feels so repetitive.” And then, I have worked with color, and found myself returning to the dark backdrops again and again. Sometimes I wonder if it’s part of the signature of my work, or just a shared aesthetic that reflects some conceptual spaces that a number of us out here in the fringe have discovered.
Even with my non-suspension work, I always feel more comfortable working with dark backgrounds. The only two mixed digital media pieces I have put out there that do not start with a black background, are almost entirely monochromatic, and one of them eventually fades to a black BG. You can check them out on Makersplace. There I go, fading stuff to black again. Maybe the third one will be a little more colorful. Maybe.
I’ve thought long and hard about this. To find some answers, I’ve spent a lot of time reading up on, musing over, and really diving deep into different types of art. It’s been a rewarding process over the years, because it’s elevated my understanding of the usage of light & color, along with composition, to better convey feelings, ideas, or just vibes in general.
For example, with my public installation, “Spaces in Between,” I wanted to present a surreal scene with feelings of lightness, and being somewhat lifted out of the seat of your comfort. OK, sure, it got literal, though I found that the bright background with cool tones definitely contributed to the airy feeling I was aiming for. The installation was also in the context of a live drawing event, so that contributed to the vibes.
I find that suspension work regularly conveys a feeling of heaviness for observers, like the body is fighting gravity. In situations like that, I have experimented with flipping the image to reverse the directionality in the work, but even then it can still feel like there is some weight to things. Why is that? What makes it feel that way? Welp, I stand by my point that color and light have a lot to do with it.
The question then becomes, do I want to convey lightness? Or do I want to stay within the themes of overcoming burdens? Maybe it’s a temporal question. Is the moment I’m presenting prior to, during, or after a point of release?
So many questions, and surprisingly simple answers for each piece. I like dark stuff, and I like exploring the struggle and work that we have to do, to overcome heavy personal shit. Thus it follows that I keep finding myself back in dark backdrop territory. Now that doesn’t mean I can’t splash some color across the scene, and I’m finding myself turning my focus in that direction more and more lately.
In the “L’école Buissonnière” set, the color decisions were a combination of Will Atkins’ conceptual direction, and Sam Waxman’s lighting choices. Synergies like this are great because collaborative art breaks free of the individual expectations and preferences one might have. As long as the designer’s narrative and primary goals are being met, the additional layering of elements from others, make up a whole that is often more accessible to a larger demographic.
As I’ve leaned into generative art recently, I’ve found that most of what I like to do there also looks better on black backgrounds. Or at least it does according to my personal tastes! As a result of musing on this, I’ve decided to do the exact opposite for a future collection. To push myself out of my comfort zone, I’m going to generate some colorful brain melters, and try to convey a different feeling altogether.
In the meantime though, I will continue to hone and perfect some of the projects I’ve been working on. FRACTALSxCODE and Iterative are both great journeys for me personally, and I want to continue the path they’ve set me on. I don’t think these projects would necessarily work or feel right to me if they were against brighter backgrounds. Besides, they have plenty of color in them (what a cop out, I know).
This topic is invariably tangential to the topic of artist identity, especially in that it can be difficult for artists to leave their comfort zones in their work, which is ultimately a perfect metaphor for the challenges in growing as an individual. Just because I want to convey a different feeling with my work over time, does not mean my identity and core themes are changing. It may just mean that I’m exploring different parts along my personal path, and want to explore different branches in the realms of catharsis, healing, and spiritual growth.
On the flipside of that, sometimes I just want to make trippy art. As we’ve repeatedly discussed across many podcast episodes now, folks will see what they want to see in art. The need to convey something more accurately feels healthier as a personal goal, not one intended just to be able to sell some art.
Which of my styles do you prefer? Do you want to see more color in my work? Are there any particular color palettes you feel more drawn towards?
My next podcast episode will be with Jeanelle Mastema, so I figure I will do things a little differently on the post attached to it. Instead of talking about what we talk about on the podcast, I will give a little breakdown of the technicalities behind what it took to make my piece, “Tether,” come to life with her.
Have a great weekend, and remember, FxC reveal is today, and still minting! Go mint yours if you haven’t already!