The Rose

This painting is part of the "When Space Breaks" series of paintings I fed several years ago. I entered this painting not as a rose, but first as a space, thinking it would establish a compiled narrative over time. Soon after entering it, I visited the Jay DeFeo retrospective at SFMOMA where I had what I consider my most spiritual interaction with a work of art to date. My painting, soon after, became a clear homage to her and her sculptural painting tiled The Rose. I worked over a year on this painting-- DeFeo spent seven years in the 1960s on hers - it weighs nearly 2500 lbs and is 12' x 8' - she painted much of it with her hands and subsequently developed lead poisoning.

Specs on my painting:
The Rose
oil and wax on canvas
96" x 96"
2013-2014
Exhibited:
Torrance Art Museum 2014
Dennis Hopper's Venice Home 2014

Here's a great video about Jay DeFeo's Rose painting:

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