From Visual Arts senior Michael Burns, we have an in depth look at some of his recent artwork.
These paintings are not meant to be anything but paintings. There is no meaning behind them except the meaning you personally find in them. My mind was pretty blank during the making of these paintings, so there isn’t much to say about them other than the general process.
Untitled, 2024
Oil on canvas
The fish was a short and simple study. First, I directly sketched an accurate outline of the fish with a light lead pencil, then directly painted on top of it with oil paint, which isn’t something you’re usually supposed to do because it will eventually bleed through the oil.
Untitled, 2024
Oil on canvas
I did this again for the painting of the man, which was meant to be something more than what it was, but after a frustrating amount of time trying to define the face, I changed directions and scraped the painting with a flat metal surface out of pure annoyance. I realized that I enjoyed that more than I enjoyed the simple recreation I was originally planning. I continued to paint over the mess and after a point, I lost interest. This was the final result.
Untitled, 2024
Oil on canvas
The horse was the strangest, mostly because I didn’t know what I was going to do until I stopped painting. I never completed the painting, and I don’t think I ever will. I realize now that I don’t enjoy finishing paintings, finding more enjoyment in leaving them half-done. Of course, in a way, a painting is never finished.
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