By Steven Kinder
Located in Fairfield, CT
Steven Kinder (b. 1956, Queens, NY) was trained at Cooper Union and has been making drawings, paintings, and large-scale installation for over 40 years. His recent work advances his interest in various forms of dynamic tension and movement found in nature, specifically tidal bores, surges or whirlpools.
In his new work, the artist further explores tension and balance between the intuitive, gestural mark and the intellectual organization of form. His 9 inch square drawing series, a format he has been using for years, have now become templates for his paintings. In the drawings Kinder works out how form and color can come together and break apart while maintaining a compositional integrity inside a small space. His habit of placing ¾ inch blue painter’s tape around the edges of his designated area to serve as a border has now become part of the picture plane. The tape’s slightly elevated hard edge creates a physical barrier for the paint but adds a beautiful collage dimension as well. Its rough textured surface catches and slows the end of the brush stroke, softening the color and extending its energy over the intended border. Like a tidal pool at the base of a waterfall, the tape is both an extension of the thing, and a separate thing itself.
When Kinder translates the small drawings onto larger canvas, there is a palpable and necessary shift of pressure, color intensity and rhythm. He does not project the drawing on the canvas, nor does he use graphs. Instead he simply places it next to the canvas and refers to the drawing as an architectural blue print...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Steven Kinder Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Mixed Media