Art as Transformation
by Marius Starkey
The main value of the artistic process lies in its transformative power. On a painting, color, shape and form serve a purpose beyond color, shape and form: A shifted and expanded view of the world.
Every time I’m in front of a canvas, I start a new inquiry into what’s real and subjective, the hidden meaning of objects and scenes and their emotional and aesthetic valences. I’m probing and experimenting to step outside of the realm of the obvious. To expand my own and the viewer’s space of conceptual and perceptual possibilities.
This is a paradoxical endeavor. I want something that goes beyond what I want. When I’m working, I enter a state that’s free of expectations, hopes and fears. Even time itself seems to dissolve. My paintbrush turns into a candle that lights my path into unexplored territories.
My ultimate goal is a special kind of transcendence. With every brush stroke and dab of paint, I’m opening a gash, a view into a world beyond paint and canvas. A world that’s more free, authentic and beautiful. In this sense, my art serves as a very peculiar vehicle for myself and the viewer – a vehicle of transformation.