Josh Meillier

Site 009, abstract painting

2022

Acrylic, graphite, transfer, spray paint on linen

Acrylic, oil, graphite, transfer on linen

Acrylic and graphite on gessoboard

Gouache and graphite on handmade paper. 18 x 12 inches unframed, 23.25 x 17.25 inches framed. Artist Statement: “As an artist, I find endless possibilities overwhelming and use self-imposed boundaries to focus my work. This often includes some combination of: a literal grid or graphite border, employment of barbecue skewers or wooden chopsticks in lieu of paintbrushes for mark making, use of a monochromatic or limited color palette, and a reliance on shape and pattern to tell a story. Limiting the elements at play adds a measure of gravity to each decision, and every detail about the paper, the viscosity of the paint, micro variations in hues, and even the sharpness of the point on a skewer matters. I’ve found that the more restrictions I put in place when I paint, the freer my work has become, allowing a tension to form between the organic and prescribed. Rather than sketch before starting a new piece, I spend time with the paper and begin to visualize possibilities. From there, I can expand the work incrementally. Whether I’m working in an adapted form of pointillism, playing with opacity and hue, or building patterns through repeating shape, the work evolves in its own time. It is an intentionally open process of discovery that seeks to uncover the greatest potential of the basest elements we have at our disposal”. - Kate Snow

(Comes float-framed behind glass.) Artist's Statement: "I was working on my "Gridish" paintings (you can find them in a search on the term "Gridish" on this site) when I became fascinated with certain materials I was working with - a new type of super-flat, super-black paint; powdered graphite; and iron oxide pigment. I had a small canvas ready to go, and shifted my attention to concentrating on just one of the rectangular forms I had been using in the Gridish series, and applying these materials in a way that pleased me. That sort of industrial sheen on the surface of the rectangle is really beautiful to me. This was a second I made, on paper. Quite obviously the mood given off by these works is greatly different from the colorful Gridish paintings that spawned them. My daughter, studying design at RISD, said she found the pic I...

(Painted on thick gallery-wrapped professional canvas, ready to hang or be framed if you prefer. A video has been included to provide a dimensional view of the piece.) Artist's Stat...

Organic shapes created with harmoniously dispersed stains on the canvas. Its homogeneous lines and pointillism details combine in this work to create a visually striking composition....

Organic shapes created with harmoniously dispersed stains on the canvas. Its homogeneous lines and pointillism details combine in this work to create a visually striking composition....