Torqued Panels Phase II - 2011

Phase II marks the eureka moment with the panels, with the decision to rotate the position of the panels, and then, the evening before the panels went to O&O for surface preparation I decided to cut down each panel into individual but proportional shapes. The surfaces were then prepared and primed and then returned to my studio for finishing. So far, there are 8 panels. Four of the panels are individual pieces yet form relationships with one another, and the other four panels are combined into one single piece, a quadtych.

The work itself has carried forward the notion of the other-worldly and investigates this in terms of outer space and ideas concerning myth and the celestial. The torqued panels, like the torqued paintings, can be viewed as formal objects that explore the basics principles of art; line, shape, colour and form, yet they also exist in that space where thoughts and feelings can live, as simple objects of meditation that reflect our daily emotions. I know it is my own life that is layered upon the surface, during the slow process of painting and sanding, painting and sanding, over and over to achieve the ‘right’ surface. Undoubtedly, I also know that whatever I think the work is about, it will also take on a life of its own as I continue to work on the series and the ideas develop further. I have felt this already as the works have become individualized, taking on colourful personalities of their own. Like the unique planets that make up our solar system or our relationships with friends and family, the Torqued Panels are meant to exist across the spectrum of our daily experiences that we carry with us day after day, night after night, thru life.