Last week, I was contacted by one of my dealers who happens to be interested in pieces which I created during the late 1980's. She was looking for some new works—similar to pieces already in her possession. This request pushed me to explore the layers of paintings leaning against the walls of my studio. I spent hours going through the inventory of work, finding that I have kept many pieces, which reflect the various periods of my creative life. It's intriguing to look back at the progression of work. And it's funny that pulling them out of storage should have such an intense emotional affect. Revisiting them is like seeing old friends that you haven't seen in awhile.
The Image above—titled "Bitch"—is from a body of work called "Uniforms". This series was a symbolic exploration of abstract portraiture. As mentioned in earlier posts... the Uniform series explores the idea that we are constantly trying to evoke the illusion that our insecurities are non-existent. We create protective barriers—or uniforms—to deter invaders from the space within ourselves. The images use structural abstraction to symbolize these uniforms, which are observed in the attitudes, personalities and relationships people develop as a source of protection. Additional work from this series can be found at gniech.com.
Above: "Bitch" Oil on Canvas, 72" x 50" 1989
I recently had a similar experience. During my move into a new studio space I ran across a sealed box that, as it turned out, contained nearly all of my sketchbooks from my undergrad years. It was a powerful experience looking over studies and finished drawings that I thought I'd lost. Seeing that progression gave me some new insight into where I'm going Artistically today.
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