Jack Chipman

The potent legacy of abstract expressionism and its color-field follow-up is currently undergoing a reexamination in Los Angeles.  One abstract process—known informally as “flow”—has surfaced here as a means of reassessing the past while establishing an inspired methodology in today’s laissez-faire artworld.  The painterly process a bloc of LA artists including myself is currently involved with balances the spontaneous with the deliberate, usually with one or the other tactic dominating.  What this movement has in common is a de-emphasis on the time-honored painter’s stroke.  Much of the work is performed at a physical and/or emotional distance from the surface, be it canvas or panel.  Despite this detachment, the net gain of “going with the flow” has been revitalizing.

Expressive color is the predominant attribute of the work, with hues ranging from the vibrant and unblended to the muted and restrained.  In my case, I counter the unpredictability of free-flowing paint with precise geometry.  I’ve long favored the integration of one method of paint application with another.  In addition, I feel an affinity with the classic LA hard-edge painters and want to pay homage to this underrated discipline.

An individual artist can be unaware that others are charting a similar course to theirs at a given moment in time.  This definitely has been true for me.  Because of its enormity, working in Los Angeles tends to create a sense of isolation.  Nevertheless, I’ve managed to cultivate a kinship with a number of local artists who are pursuing this new direction in painting