John Monson, Bed VII, 2010BETWEEN SILENCE-PAINTINGS BY JOHN MONSON-FORM/SPACE ATELIER
JANUARY 20 THROUGH FEBRUARY 13, 2011-
VERNISSAGE 1/20/2011 6PM
Between Silence is John Monson’s second solo show at Form/Space Atelier and his third overall. Monson keeps a studio in picturesque Fall City. His work for this exhibit moves from the seascapes of 2010’s The Water Poet to the hardscapes of the most domestic of interiors. -Paul Pauper, Curator, Form/Space Atelier.
While perhaps suggesting emotional content beyond the work itself, the subject matter of this show is also a formal technique that provides a means of visually activating the surface of the paintings. Similar to the waves in my water series, the fabric folds provide a way to modulate and divide the canvas while creating a relatively shallow depth of space. Keeping the space shallow allows the viewer to quickly shift attention between the content of the forms and the fact of the paint on the surface. The black voids are interesting to me in that they can either visually dominate (suggesting ideas about silence or infinity), or disappear completely. My hope is that the viewer will have an emotional response to each painting and to the show as a whole, but it is not my place to prescribe what those emotions should be. What most interests me right now is the movement of attention within, between and beyond content, ideas, and silence.
I live and work near Seattle, Washington. I received my BFA from Western Washington University. Awards include top honors in ten juried art competitions. I draw heavily upon natural, organic forms, and move easily between realism and abstraction. I like to establish a dialog between carefully worked realism and impulsive, organic forms. This broad and inclusive integration of diverse styles reveals my belief that art plays a role in creating our worldview. Hopefully my work reflects a view that is not exclusive and fragmented, but rather more complete, more tolerant and integrating. -John Monson
