Clinton Deckert
Artist’s Statement
2022
I am an American painter born in Massachusetts and grew up in Southington, Connecticut where I reside and maintain a home studio. My work is inspired by my memories of my youth playing in tree houses, running through the woods, and splashing around the ponds, streams and swamps of the Northeast. I have always been curious to explore what lurks just beneath the surface, what’s living under the log, or what’s just around the bend in the river.
Over the years, I have developed techniques for creating artworks that are inspired by those curiosities. The process begins as exploratory and spontaneous. I start by splashing thinned paints or inks in loose washes over the canvas or board. I then blot them with rags or other available materials watching patterns and imagery emerge from the swamp of paint. At this transitional point, it seems like a primordial stew with infinite possibilities that may evolve and emerge. I then take a step back to see what develops as the paint runs, drips and blends into one another . . . think of it as a painterly alchemy or conjuring of creative spirits. The subtle implied images that are generated are similar to the imagined objects that you may see in a clouded sky or reflections in the water. These chance images are then refined and resolved until the composition balances as a whole. I try not to think too much and use intuition to guide my next move. The end result is the documentation of my creative journey, which I can share with an audience. The process is an escape vehicle for me. The work is open for individual interpretation and may be experienced differently upon each viewing based on one’s own life experiences and perspective. I hope the viewer utilizes their imagination as a catalyst for their own journey.
I want to leave my mark behind when I leave this level of existence and my mark happens to be paint. It’s rewarding to contemplate that some of my work may stand the test of time and still hang on a wall after I am gone. Perhaps my art will inspire some young artist as my forefathers have inspired me. It is proof that I was here and in a strange way it seems to validate my existence, at least I hope it does.
For further understanding of my process please, watch the short video (see Vimeo) https://vimeo.com/127605364
“Primordial Stew”, by Ty Stuyvesant
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