Chris Trueman describes his current body of work as a way of exploring a long-standing interest in the difference between the physiological process of sight and the psychological facet of perception. He is fascinated by the way people interpret visual spaces, extract meaning and build narratives from their perceptions.
In the words of Chris Trueman:
[caption id="attachment_9235" align="alignleft" width="600"]
Art by Chris Trueman 72" x 72"[/caption]
"My paintings fuse various styles, gestures, marks and methods of paint application onto the same surface, mixing them with diverse sources from art history and references to popular culture.
Fundamentally, the paintings search out and explore the limitations of parallel processing within our perception. Parallel processing encompasses the ability of our brains to process simultaneous stimuli. In everyday vision the brain processes and analyzes color, motion, shape and depth. Together this set of characteristics is compared to stored memories to identify what we are looking at. Not so long ago, scientists and theoreticians speculated that exposure to technologies such as the Internet and mobile communications would help our brains develop the ability to simultaneously digest multiple sets of parallel processes. Recent research has found that this has not happened. Rather, we are learning to switch trains of thought more quickly and to find connections in a greater number of ways.
I am taking advantage of both aspects by constructing paintings that can not be processed at once; they are intended to remain multiplicitous, and refuse resolution into one unified object. When first viewing the artwork, the viewer’s eyes follow lines, shapes or compositional elements. As one moves through the painting the changes between styles are integrated into a common space, allowing the viewer to slip between styles.
[caption id="attachment_9236" align="alignleft" width="550"]
Art by Chris Trueman 46" x 36"[/caption]
By the time the viewer realizes they are no longer looking at the same style, they are following another modality.
As I construct the paintings I work with each style or methodology as a system of ideas revolving around a set of formal devices. By sampling from diverse sources, I am able to tap into a familiarity and cultural memory. I mix color, style and art historical references from hard edge abstraction, architectural rendering, abstract expressionism, pop art, manga, Los Angeles flow painting, and representational painting. I can undermine the essential logic by which each school operates, clashing the appearance and behavior of each system. The finished painting is an irresolvable space that fluidly changes systems of thought as each system begins to contradict its own logic, resulting in greater clarity of the differences between the various systems.
We will be featuring Chris in a solo exhibition in the month of October. Be sure to see his work in person at TW Fine Art!