Artist Statement

Non-representational art, although inescapably filled with human reference, is my preferred way of getting closer to the bone in expressing the unseen and unsaid. Sometimes, when this approach seems more confining than liberating, I’ll incorporate familiar images without any qualms.

Recently, I have re-introduced drawn line as a prominent element in my artwork. As a counterpoint to solid shapes, it opens up fresh possibilities, both in expressing movement and in providing different terrain for color relationships.

Building or assembling as a process fits perfectly with the way that I develop an idea. This finds me cutting, gluing, nailing, or stenciling shapes onto the chosen surface. I progress one shape at a time and one color at a time--playing color off of color, sometimes abstract off of figurative, and possibly technique off of technique.

Typically, my choices take me from simple through complex and out the other side to complex-yet-still-simple. My decisions along the way focus on removing anything that dilutes my vision for a piece, as well as recovering from any experimental detours gone wrong.

Mimi Cahalan