Fractured Geode
24 in x 24 in
3/2026
This painting reads as a controlled field of shapes that feels both architectural and mineral—like looking at a crystalline lattice mid-fracture. The shapes, mainly triangles, interlock without forming an obvious repeating pattern, and the slight irregularities in size, shape, and angles suggests a shifting tiling, with the shapes "floating" on a sea of textured white. The use of nested, concentric triangles inside each cell creates a strong inward pull, so the eye oscillates between the network as a whole and the individual “chambers” within it. There’s a tension between order and fracture: the geometry implies an underlying grid, but the way the shapes fan and swivel around invisible centers introduces a sense of disruption and motion. The palette is tightly controlled—cool greys, blacks, whites, and silvery tones—yet it feels rich because of the value range and surface differentiation. Each shape is outlined in antique silver, which unifies the components. Metallic and textured inner segments act like veins of mineral or reflective inclusions; they catch light differently and they, along with heavily textured components, give the piece a quasi-sculptural presence, as if parts of the surface are cut stone rather than paint. The limited palette keeps the focus on structure and light, and subtle temperature shifts (warm vs. cool greys) stand in for overt color symbolism. Although the painting is flat, the nested triangles and alternating values create a convincing illusion of layered planes. Many forms read like cross-sections of three-dimensional wedges, so the piece hovers between diagram and object, almost like looking down into a geode sliced open. The white “mortar” between shapes behaves like negative space and connective tissue at once, giving breathing room while also implying cracks or fault lines along which the structure might further separate. Because the palette is cool and the forms are sharply defined, the overall affect is cerebral and analytical, yet the irregularities and shimmering textures keep it from feeling sterile.
