The Color of Underappreciated Things

Artists

• Joe Macca

Statement

"I have taken up the task in my work of paying homage to the humble, the ignored and the unappreciated. I carefully scrutinize the variety of color found in everyday living things: insects, worms, rodents. Through a reduced and contrived program I present the objective color of these beings. Once the four, five or six hues are discerned from an object and mixed and matched, a system of chance dictates the development of the paintings. I employ a numbered grid to randomly determine where the simple orb-like forms that inhabit each color will be placed. Once each form is placed on the painting support, each of those same colors will be thinly glazed over the ground, layer after layer until a rich, atmospheric buildup is achieved. Glazes are also based on chance: each color is assigned a number and dice are rolled to determine the order of layering. Between thirty and fifty glazes are done in order to achieve a glowing representation and tribute to these underappreciated objects."
-Joe Macca