Bill Claps
Mona As Dali, Positive

About the Item

Artist Statement My most recent works utilize Morse code to communicate various ideas and thoughts, utilizing photos and prints of my drawings in my works, and relying on text and symbolic representation to present my ideas. In an age where all of our art and communication can be reduced to and stored in a binary language, the fact that Morse code was one of the earliest forms of digital code and the first universal language of the digital age resonates strongly with me. There’s beauty in the simplicity of the simple dots and dashes of this outdated language, but layers of meaning and relevance can be conveyed using its symbolic lexicon. The mixed media works and videos in my most recent series, “Artspeak”, comment on the coded language used in art journalism and critique and analyze how people react to this language. The mixed media works translate phrases taken from press releases of art exhibitions into Morse code, and the video "Enduring Conundrum" captures individuals from all walks of life repeating those phrases in their own words, revealing how they respond to contemporary art. Previously my work had been characterized by immediacy and gesture, executed combining elements of both painting and drawing, and I typically tapped into the instinctual and subconscious to create spontaneous works of art. The line was essential, as its path through the work told the story and evoked the mood. My inspiration has come from sources as varied as language and code, calligraphy, the human figure, Chinese landscape painting, expressionism, and appropriated images from contemporary art.

Creator:
Bill Claps
Dimensions:
Height: 42 in (106.68 cm)Width: 29 in (73.66 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Mixed Media,Gold,Foil
Movement & Style:
Contemporary
Period:
21st Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Tulsa, OK
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU271212807422
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