Kit Eastman at Stripe

Contemplations

Kit Eastman

            I came to be a painter/printmaker as a result of great changes late in my adult life. A search for meaning and identity brought me to art – a visual record of the journey of my mind, body and spirit, without disconnecting from my past. My exploration of the creative process lead me to enroll at the UCSC and graduate with degrees in studio art and in art history. Through the study of art history I feel connected to a broader past, to a timeless tradition in art that has always been a primary concern for man, the expression of his existence. With decades of work with animals I also feel connected to a deeper past – the animal nature that empowers us.

My figurative paintings, prints and drawings are concerned with the physical and psychological factors that define our perceptions and influence our actions. Our ability to respond with compassion is dependent upon our continuing process of self-realization and self-knowledge. Since the nature of individuality is inherently dynamic, the ability to truly obtain that personal insight is mysterious. The intuitive and emotional parts of our response mechanism play a major role in our interactions with reality. When I begin weighing compositional possibilities and considering the consequences of my chosen actions, compassion for the other may at times come into conflict with self-protection. For now the moment of indecision creates tension. The paintings and drawings are ultimately guided by an observation of this point of conflict.

There is a range of visual solutions in my work, from at times being narrative and romantic, to an analytical investigation involving relational ordering of images. The use of the multiple picture plane and layering of visual information have been compelling formats to explore these issues. With the symbolic ordering of imagery, the viewer must decide what each element symbolically represents, then reconcile their co-existence.

My recent works have an added concern involving my choice of materials and how it might mediate the range of interpretation and conceptual issues available in the finished piece. What has become apparent is that the choice of media to execute the images has a profound impact on the visual statement; calling attention to the process, thereby changing the viewer’s interpretation of the elements. I enjoy this dual referencing both inside and outside the works of art. There is more of a perceived intellectual relationship between the elements, yet exact meaning remains ambiguous.

            This quality of implied meaning while retaining a sense of mystery is of great interest to me. That a certain set of images or circumstances might elicit a range of interpretations is of consequence in that it finds a parallel in our everyday lives. Both verbal and physical communications between people are often interpreted or misinterpreted in many ways. The work of understanding each other’s visual languages relates in spirit to the making of this work.

kitcreates@charter.net 

Join us Friday July 1st from 5-9pm for an evening of art and cocktails!

117 walnut Ave