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Diptychs: Pathways in the
Garden
Recent works by Larry Walker
The paintings included in
this exhibition extend from my interests in (as well as my reactions to)
the various ways we interface, connect or disconnect with fellow humans
and from my ongoing exploration of urban surfaces.
For some 20 years the Wall Series, characterized by surfaces with peeling posters and paint, graffiti markings and other communicative remnants, has provided me with opportunities to present the wall not only as a frontal (cultural/ psychological) barrier but also as a time-sensitive vehicle for communicating with others. Frequently, to paraphrase Peter Baldaia, Chief Curator of the Huntsville Museum of Art, the mélange of imagery, text and paint applications provide differing points of view or expectations as well as diverse cultural perspectives that “transforms the detritus of the urban landscape into an arena for contemplation and discovery.” I do find it intriguing to combine paint, textures and diverse materials with opposing ideas or ambiguous positions. Composing with these elements seems to highlight the fact that we communicate through many different means…as such, those who view the exhibition are invited to work their way through layers of personal, cultural, psychological, political and/or ideological meanings so as to establish clarity in the work as it relates to their frame of reference and to arrive at an understanding of meaning, content or intent of the artistic process. Several paintings in the exhibition move the concept of walls and surfaces to positions of internal or personal quests to understand or come to grips with ancestral links, societal shortcomings as well as with such issues as aging and physical ailments. Overall, I believe that these paintings explore the complexities, elusiveness and challenges we face as humans while reflecting on many aspects of our shared existence in both positive and negative contexts.
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