Jan Dickey

I have a symbiotic relationship with paint, and arrive at compositions that reveal cracks, peels, and other material movements that I see as an expression of paint's inherent personality. I blend hand-ground pigments with natural binders such as egg, oil, and various glues, building depth through a complex array of paint layers that are intermittently compressed and excavated through sanding.

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Compositions are the division of raw space and matter into something that can be understood and navigated by the human mind. I embrace this concept while consistently disrupting my own authorial control. My recent work traces fleeting light shapes that come through my studio window as a way to compose––and uses ungovernable mixtures of paint to produce material surprises that guide the development of the work.

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photo credit: Serena Wang