Artist Statement
It is rare that I work back into a finished painting in order to shift its energy. If I am no longer pleased with a particular work, I destroy it, leaving behind no evidence of its existence, except for that which is held in memory. However, if I am moved internally by one of my earlier paintings, and recognize that it is time to revisit the imagery in a transformative way, I continue. The opportunity to bring together the spirit of my creative past with that of the present was too great to pass up.
In January of 2013, I chose to revisit Phoenix Rising, a triptych on canvas from 1999. Its original substructure, comprised of gauze, ripped cotton fabric, and paper, remains the same. Brighter colors now lift the bird more intentionally as it prepares for its flight. In this transformative state, Phoenix Rising, Revisited continues to address the theme of survival in a world that is endlessly falling apart and coming together again.
Four self-portraits from the Healing Woman series exist beneath the surfaces of Reflection, Metamorphosis I & II, and Refraction. There is no discernible evidence of any prior imagery, save for a few brushstrokes. For these works, I return to my current creative process, building the suggestion of a collage through multiple layers of paint. Rather than sanding down my earlier marks, I invite them to come through and join in. The delicate butterfly-bird forms, symbols of renewal and change in recent work, break apart and exist in various stages of transition. As I work with hushed, atmospheric colors, energy erupts in a moment of transformation and the space is filled anew with transcendent light.
All Rights Reserved / Mattina © 2014
Phoenix Rising, Revisited is represented by the Lyman-Eyer Gallery in Provincetown and may be found by clicking the center thumbnail on the following page: www.patmattina.com/chrysalis.html
Reflection, Metamorphosis I & II, and Refraction may be found by clicking on the corner thumbnails on the following page: www.patmattina.com/newwork.html
In January of 2013, I chose to revisit Phoenix Rising, a triptych on canvas from 1999. Its original substructure, comprised of gauze, ripped cotton fabric, and paper, remains the same. Brighter colors now lift the bird more intentionally as it prepares for its flight. In this transformative state, Phoenix Rising, Revisited continues to address the theme of survival in a world that is endlessly falling apart and coming together again.
Four self-portraits from the Healing Woman series exist beneath the surfaces of Reflection, Metamorphosis I & II, and Refraction. There is no discernible evidence of any prior imagery, save for a few brushstrokes. For these works, I return to my current creative process, building the suggestion of a collage through multiple layers of paint. Rather than sanding down my earlier marks, I invite them to come through and join in. The delicate butterfly-bird forms, symbols of renewal and change in recent work, break apart and exist in various stages of transition. As I work with hushed, atmospheric colors, energy erupts in a moment of transformation and the space is filled anew with transcendent light.
All Rights Reserved / Mattina © 2014
Phoenix Rising, Revisited is represented by the Lyman-Eyer Gallery in Provincetown and may be found by clicking the center thumbnail on the following page: www.patmattina.com/chrysalis.html
Reflection, Metamorphosis I & II, and Refraction may be found by clicking on the corner thumbnails on the following page: www.patmattina.com/newwork.html
