fireworks

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on February 17, 2021 at 1:42pm

Curator’s Comments:  

 

Fireworks was in fact posted several years ago, but it recently came up for viewing on the site.  The burst of warm energy is directly captured by expressive marks in the abstracted piece.  I appreciate the visible brushstrokes in the dark red background, as the texture appears to simulate the reverberation of sound and color in the spark. To reflect on your caption, it also conjures the spreading of a joyous mood. I do find it curious that this painting is asymmetrically balanced within the picture plane.  Rather than a frontal depiction of the light burst, as presented in the related pieces Fire Rain and Color Crackers, this piece reflects on the direction- and origin- of the fire. The shifting of space is also a welcome surprise compositionally. While you note the inspiration for your paintings is the Diwali festival, there is a visual primacy to the designs that I believe is part of their strength. As human elements that would anchor the fireworks in reality are absent from your paintings, the viewer is able to experience them as one might view actual fireworks in the festival- a burst of color breaking the darkness, symbolically representing the momentary victory of good over evil.