Paintings are made from both acrylic and oil paints on canvas. The surfaces are three dimensional, and occasionally use pieces of discarded clothing in the surfaces.
The Bits & Pieces Series:
Bits & Pieces 1
This series is still in progress. Inspired after a trip to Africa in 2009 during the heart of the Recession, I was amazed to learn that unemployment there was at a staggering 25%, and yet people’s outlook was in general quite positive. These works while inspired by the beautiful landscapes and colors of Africa, are also inspired by the people, and how in my own life I have made an attempt to have that positive outlook as well.
Bits & Pieces 2
Made of small scraps of canvas that has been hand stitched together. Works from this series are for sale on Absolute Arts: http://www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/c/cmasseyart/
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The Wrinkled Series:
Wrinkled 27, 28, 33, & 35
The Wrinkled Series is a series of works of which are created in the same manner as the Bits & Pieces series, where the canvases have been hand stitched into wrinkled, imperfect surfaces. Heavier stitching is still evident as in the previous series, Dead Paintings, as well as the influence of earthy tones.
The Wrinkled Series, 39, 40, 26 & 34
Every series I work on revolves around the basic idea of connection. In the “Wrinkled” series, I draw specific connections to the concept of beauty and age. Beauty is something continuously sought after in our society today, where age is attempted to he hidden and disguised. Just like people are surgically altering their appearances, the surfaces of these paintings have suffered the same fate, just in reverse. Instead of making them tighter and smoother, they have been made to highlight wrinkles and imperfections. This series is a response to how Artists often alter their work to fit into what a specific curator, dealer or collector might be looking for, be it consciously or not.
Selected works from this series can be purchased on NYAXE: http://www.nyaxe.com/cmasseyart/
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The Packaged Series:
Packaged 9 & 12
This series of paintings typically exhibits alongside the “Meat Market” series. They range from 9″-14″ deep, and contain large amounts of raw canvas that are sewn into the surfaces of the canvases.
Packaged 5 & 7
Works in this series are typically exhibited as the wall hung versions of the Meat Market series of hanging forms. They are the tidier version of what is expected both of painting in general, as well as what the consumer purchases in the meat industry.
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The Dead Painting Series:
Dead Painting 4
The Dead Painting Series was the catalyst series that begun my work with conceptual topics revolving around the Art World itself. The works, painted in fleshy tones “suffer” from bruises, scraps, and other “injuries.” They mock the long over used term that “painting is dead.” I however do not believe that painting is dead, rather healing from the injuries it’s sustained from this rhetoric.
Dead Painting 14
Many of the early works of this series have been reinvented into newer works. Some have been taken off their original frames, cut, torn and “killed” before being reused in other works.
Selected works from the Dead Painting Series can be purchased on NYAXE: http://www.nyaxe.com/cmasseyart/
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How it works:
Small studies available on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/cmasseyart?section_id=6979944
