Acrylic on canvas, 2024

11" x 14"

 

The painting, with its thirty-three parallel rows each composed of two-hundred (give or take) hash marks, was inspired by the 12,000 year old annual rite of planting a fallow field - each small mark a seed placed into soil. In its repetitive monochromatic minimalism the painting elicits the recurrent Zen like focus and work at the heart of farming. And as each seed contains a genetic history packed with the potential for growth and nourishment, the act of painting itself imitates the hope of every planting season, and the human labor that turns fields into sources of sustenance for the world.

 

The hash marks reflect not just a farmer’s work and dedication, but the transformative power of small discrete acts to create a greater whole.  The painting’s dense grouping of rows expresses the cumulative power of seeds, that when combined with sunlight, water, care and attention, become a verdant field. The subtle variations in line and texture reflect the nature of small scale community-based farming, where no two plantings are exactly alike, yet create a magnificent harmony. The art speaks to the quiet, powerful energy of cultivation, highlighting the role of persistence and faith in an imagined future taking root.