Henry Callahan

Artist's Statement

The process of creation is my greatest joy. For me the act of painting is truly a physical act, relying upon intuition to fuel the next steps in the process. My paintings reflect a passionate love of the medium. Using everything from crayons, brushes, found objects and my hands, I apply paint with abandon.

Employing a variety of media from acrylic and oil paint to batik dye and watercolor, from crayons and oil pastels to collage, these paintings reflect my intense love of color, depth and texture by bringing unexpected combinations to life. Three-dimensional and built-up surfaces figure prominently, and extraordinary color relationships allow the viewer to be surprised both on initial viewing and upon closer examination of the surface.

If viewers will allow themselves to really see, and to understand their own feelings, meanings and reactions to the work, I feel I have accomplished my goal. I prefer not to preface viewers of my paintings with too many of my own thoughts about motivation or what they mean to me. This can potentially influence the viewer's thought processes and their interpretations of the work.

Painting provides an outlet for me to share the many discoveries that I make on a daily basis in the studio. Joy lies in finding new and exciting combinations - nothing is sacred. It is not uncommon for me to paint over, scrape the surface, and totally re-work paintings prior to completion. Each painting takes from two weeks to three months to complete due to the amount of layering and re-working involved. Movement and vibrancy characterize the work creating a pulse intended to spark the viewer's imagination.

 

Callahan and Painting

 

I begin with an idea or an influence, which serves as a point of departure from which the process intuitively takes over. Usually this influence is in the form of a landscape either recently seen, photographed or researched. In these works, direction is planned, but emotions dictate. The titles reflect some departure points and hint at allegory, but their reading as documents is not essential to the enjoyment of the work.

In the future, my work will continue to evolve, never remaining static, but progressing toward a more complete understanding of myself based upon the discoveries that challenge me daily. Maintaining an open and receptive mind is essential. This process for me is a never-ending search for expressing my ideas, emotions and thought processes through a variety of media.

–Henry Callahan