Beloved Microcosm

Author/Artist Name

Logan WeiheFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Spring 4-14-2017

Artist Statement

Beloved Microcosm- Logan Weihe 2017

My work is non-objective and abstracted, as it references the human form and also invents new forms, combining the matured physicality of the human body and our beginnings (smaller pieces i.e. cells, atoms). I am interested in the seemingly endless problems that the human body can solve, as well as working towards understanding its limitations both physically and mentally. The intersection of contrary ideas and the forcing of harmony between them fuels my creative process. The idea of opposites becoming one entity both formally and conceptually is rich for me, as I want to explore those points of friction and resolution.

My current work involves a process of arriving at a general concept about the body that peaks my curiosity, and then working intuitively with the paint to explore this idea. As I create, I am continuously learning more about the specific scientific process that I choose to inspire each piece. The paintings I produce are spontaneous interpretations of cellular bodily processes, including the illusion of movement as well as the manipulation of composition and color to create energetic worlds. I make oil paintings that speak about microscopic processes visualized through advancing scientific technologies so as to juxtapose the contemporary use of visual technology with a very traditional way of creating. Additionally, I am infatuated with the elements that our bodies are made up of, and employing the gesture of painting, using my physicality to create the image is exciting for me. Jenny Saville’s grotesque depiction of the human form and the visceral quality of her work coincides with my interest in undesirable reality and experimenting with the size and weight of my marks. Lee Bontecou’s work inspires mine in the way she creates cellular like organic forms, often dealing with space that becomes a sort of vacuum. Arshile Gorky fragments the figure in abstract ways in order to tell stories of his past, and from his paintings I seek to better understand emotive color as well as how to use the figure non-objectively.

From the sheer number of processes that occur within us each second to the fleshy quality of our bodies, my attraction to the human form comes from my search for the power or force that created our bodies in all of their complexity, whether it be God, chemistry, chance, or something that is not meant to be explained. I strive for my audience to be fascinated with themselves and to see their own body as something remarkable, in its intricacy and flawless execution of thousands of processes.

Advisor/Mentor

Mrs. Sarah Gutwirth; Dr. Zb Smetana; Mr. Dale Leys; Mr. Mike Martin

Description

I had the opportunity to do a solo show in the Curris Center Gallery from April 14-22. This show included 10 large oil paintings (around 4’ x 4’ each), and an installation of 8 tiny oil paintings arranged on one wall together. All of these paintings explore the human body from the inside, out. They are intuitive interpretations of cellular bodily processes that include the illusion of movement as well as the manipulation of composition and color to create energetic worlds. Each one of the paintings loosely and abstractly depicts a different microscopic event, but they all fall under the same umbrella of being about the body and the appreciation of the processes that allow us to live the lives that we do.

One piece, “Inevitable Dispersion”, deals with the process of diffusion as I work with the paint to depict the movement of molecules in the body from a more concentrated area to a less and vise versa, doing do with a lot of color and brushstrokes that describe the space and weight of the objects. Another piece, “Habitual, but Free” began with the idea of blood clotting and wanting to express ideas of coagulation as well as fluid space. I worked with cellular imagery and abstracted it to create an environment of organic objects moving together and apart. The size, color and energy of these works are meant to immerse the viewer and enlighten them on the amazing processes occurring in their body constantly.

I hope that the viewers feel engulfed in the spaces that I create. Additionally, I hope that they find my paintings reminiscent of something bodily and visceral, though I don’t intend for them to know exactly what I was working with. I would want the press to say that my work is a culmination of art and science and that my paintings appear to be living on their own. I really hope viewers come away with surprise that the colorful, explosive scenes depicted are actually based off of our bodies, and they have a stronger sense of wonder and love for themselves.

Photo Credit

Photo credit, Mr. Ty Elrod, 2017

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Weihe, Logan, "Beloved Microcosm" (2017). B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498). 7.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/7