Barche Series

Barca e roccia, 1999
Oil pastel, graphite

series on boats...oil pastels and a continuation of sorts on theme 
that began in Napoli on pages of old books...those boats were a little more 
"realistic" in shape and colour...these are a little more abstracted...
it is the shape that interests me and how it creates a sense of gravity-less 
presence...what is the mirror of water in which it (a boat) rests?... an aid 
to gravity in situating the boat...or an aid to the boat in resisting it?

	in addition, the shape of the boat is basic and quick and follows 
the natural gesture for surveying the landscape/seascape with the hand... 
the back and forth movement over and back across the horizon creates a shape 
against which there is movement and contrast...this shape turned sideways 
upside down or whichever way continues in its function of vessel in the 
alternate sense of containment...vessel as a cup or cupped hands...
vessel as in the means by which something/one is contained and transported 
within/out of one's usual medium or environment...water/space

	consider the contradiction of the so-called mirror image...water increases 
the effect of distrotion of the reflected image even to a greater degree than 
usual...even in seemingly still waters, the reflected image is in motion and 
therefore provides a variation on one object/image to infinite series...

	the relationship of the boat and its image in the water to the variations 
that result bring the reflected image very close to being a "shadow"...
not the normal shadow however, because the reflected boat's image retains 
colour and shape that are related to the originating object...





Barche,1999
Oil pastel, graphite, 

ZERO...Writing Arts
GUERNICA EDITIONS Publisher
LIGHTZOO ... Italian and Italian American Film