Forrest Moses: Field of Beauty. The Iris Monotypes
Forrest Moses (1934 - 2021) is lauded as the pinnacle of abstracted painting of nature鈥檚 essence with unmatched finesse. Masterfully translating the rhythms of color and form of the iris into works that transcend mere replication, Moses provides viewers a glimpse into the profound beauty of this magnificent flower by way of his interpretation of its elegance and striking symmetry.
As with his renowned oil paintings on canvas, the monotypes of Forrest Moses are each a one-of-a-kind original work of art that bears complete fidelity to the visual engagement of the artist with nature. Moses made his monotypes by painting with pigments onto a Plexiglas plate and then impressing that painting onto a chine colle of rice paper melded with thick Arches paper through the pressure of a large etching press.
Moses referred to these works as 鈥渟tamps, thumbprints鈥� of the spiritual consciousness of his life as an artist. Like his oils, the monotypes are what he thought of as byproducts of his meditations on nature and its patterns and textures, and his own feelings of being there. The marks, lines and colors of his art transfer the essence of that experience and convey the meanings of it. In this process, for Moses, beauty becomes truth.
The iris monotypes in this exhibit exemplify the unmistakable aesthetic for which Moses is so widely regarded: reductive elegance and simple grace distilling essential forms of the elegant iris and combining restraint of line, delicacy of color and richness of emotional response.
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Forrest Moses (1934 - 2021) is lauded as the pinnacle of abstracted painting of nature鈥檚 essence with unmatched finesse. Masterfully translating the rhythms of color and form of the iris into works that transcend mere replication, Moses provides viewers a glimpse into the profound beauty of this magnificent flower by way of his interpretation of its elegance and striking symmetry.
As with his renowned oil paintings on canvas, the monotypes of Forrest Moses are each a one-of-a-kind original work of art that bears complete fidelity to the visual engagement of the artist with nature. Moses made his monotypes by painting with pigments onto a Plexiglas plate and then impressing that painting onto a chine colle of rice paper melded with thick Arches paper through the pressure of a large etching press.
Moses referred to these works as 鈥渟tamps, thumbprints鈥� of the spiritual consciousness of his life as an artist. Like his oils, the monotypes are what he thought of as byproducts of his meditations on nature and its patterns and textures, and his own feelings of being there. The marks, lines and colors of his art transfer the essence of that experience and convey the meanings of it. In this process, for Moses, beauty becomes truth.
The iris monotypes in this exhibit exemplify the unmistakable aesthetic for which Moses is so widely regarded: reductive elegance and simple grace distilling essential forms of the elegant iris and combining restraint of line, delicacy of color and richness of emotional response.
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