New Works: The Saccades Series oils

Saccades I  oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

Sold by Saks Galleries, Denver   private collection

I've been doing trees for years and they continue to inspire me in a variety of ways with no end in sight. With this Saccades series, much is abstracted and the forest motif becomes a place of patterns, color and light effects. These works take on a life of their own and they make a lot of demands: more shadow, color, light, mass, brights, blacks - in an endless dialog until they are finally in balance with all of their complexity. The Saccades works are designed without a singular focal point. This leads the eye to explore the equally engaging parts of the artwork.
Ken

About the Saccades Series shown here:

"Since the late 19th century, researchers have been aware of the phenomenon of saccades, the rapid movement of the eye as we shift our attention from one thing to another. As a result, vision itself is discontinuous. We construct a “map of reality” from saccades much as a film editor puts together a scene from individual camera takes."  From an article by the film maker Errol Morris, NY Times

These works are now exhibiting at Mirada Fine Art, Colorado

One-man show: Ken Elliott / COLOR view the exhibit
Opening reception, Friday, May 6, 6-9 pm and continuing through May 30
www.miradafineart.com

About Saccades I (above)

The idea was to develop a new way of seeing the forest. There are layers of forest material, tree trunks primarily, but the types of trees or even the time of day is secondary to the patterns and colors in this series of oils. There is something to see everywhere and we are compelled to move around the image, enjoying all the delicious elements that create the forest.

Saccades III  oil on canvas, 36 x 60 inches  $8450 framed

Another view in saccade fashion of a forest that at first glance seems very two-dimensional but quickly reveals a variety of patterns receding into the background.

My intention was to create a green forest but not in a common or expected way. To do that, I added a variety of unusual and unnatural colors without knowing what would happen from minute to minute. It was a bit like hearing an orchestra tune up with various notes and volumes to create a recognizable sound. In this case, it became a random forest view where every note is individualized and inclusive to a green forest captured at that moment.

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Saccades II  oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches  $2150 unframed

Yellows surround the blues and the blues recede into the lights.

The pinks add to the atmospherics while the reds hide in plain sight. Every color supports and intensives the other in a patient and timeless way. There seems to be a slight movement in the trees but without a breeze. The lights and the darks are quietly alive and moving.