Blue Hawk™ black plastic consumer sheeting, Gorilla™ duct tape, household paint, salvaged track lighting, Mötsenböckers LIFT OFF® graffiti removal spray, graffiti remnants cleaned from the streets of New York on canvas rag, black Tyvek®, Wood stretcher bars, acrylic gesso, dirt, iron oxide, chalk, and eraser on canvas, aerosol, black vinyl acetate, GE™ black premium waterproof silicone II*, dirt are some of the mediums described in the work of Jay Paavonpera. With most of the pieces above being untitled and referencing a location such as 9th Street or at Canal street you are left to believe that there is more to learn in the material used to create his work than the titles. It is the attention to detail of the materials used in his description of the work that tells the story of his new work. The utilization of Industrial materials, Graffiti removal supplies and references to graffiti in conjunction with the location of works referenced in the titles leads us towards the suggestion of urban themes. These references only give us a glimpse into some impressive new works. Being produced in the vein of painting and occupying the space of a canvas yet utilizing sculptural elements and modern mediums Jay has created a conceptual idea of painting. We will continue to watch the work of Jay in the future and hope you enjoy these new works as much as we do.
GF
Pictures courtesy of the Artist
“Although my work may seem more easily defined as sculptural or multi-disciplinary, I actually consider myself a painter. I value the history that is carried in the physical presentation of a painting and the way in which we inherently understand and react to its two-dimensional form. In that sense, I am trying to dismantle the assumption of what we expect of the form in which a painting can be presented. So even though my work may appear sculptural upon an initial viewing, my objective is for the viewer to re-evaluate that perception, and instead experience the work in the same way they would experience a painting — acknowledging surface, material, and color, and of course, considering the entirety of its narrative.” Jay Paavonpera from Life and Times interview 2013
