David Martsolf

Art critic Clement Greenberg had a great thesis about modernism flattening the canvas and moving away from the grand illusion of depth.  'Surface Tension' supports that notion and denies it at the same time.  Can you see the flat surface?  I am playing with the theme that reality can be illusion and vice versa.  The group of people were friends of mine having a summer outdoor barbecue.  They were happy to pose for this visual  commentary on the history of modern art. 

Winner of the Sawyer Memorial Award for Painting, 38th Annual New Hampshire Art Association Exhibition, Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, NH, 1985