Controlled Chaos

13 in x 21 in,

12/25

“Controlled Chaos” is about the tension between order and disruption.  I used a grayscale palette and a lot of impasto techniques to heighten focus on structure, rhythm, and texture rather than color. The grid is one of overlapping circles hovering over a grid of rectangles and triangles, and I laid them down somewhat randomly on the canvas, rather than being concerned with precisely connecting edges or midpoints of the canvas. The result is one of unexpected angles that create spaces that feel both engineered and fractured, as if the painting is diagramming motion itself. The restricted range of blacks, whites, silvers, and grays creates a cool, almost industrial atmosphere that reinforces a sense of design and control, yet a variety of finishes—matte, glossy, rough, hammered, and pebbled—keeps the surface alive.  I incorporated silver foil, glass beads, modeling paste, and a lot of metallics.  Light catches differently on each segment to suggest the idea that chaos is often a matter of perspective. Repeating geometric motifs provide an underlying logic, but unpredictable combinations of shapes hint that structure and unpredictability can coexist. The “controlled” grid and circles are stable, but the sliced spaces, textural clashes, and shifting values hint that the painting represents a dynamic, unsolved puzzle.