PAUL CHOJNOWSKI
ARTIST STATEMENT
I have been burning images into wood and paper as a means of drawing for over two decades. During that time I have continued to refine and at the same time experiment with the process. Using propane torches I burn, scorch, re-burn, sand and scratch the surface of paper or wood to create my drawings.
My earlier work, the Nocturne Series was inspired by walking at night in the light filled streets of American cities; those drawings were often mistaken for soft focus sepia toned photographs. My present work is a considerable departure in regard to content, execution and appearance - from those dark, abstracted cityscapes, my current drawings are light filled, clearly rendered landscapes. The burning process I use to make my drawings evolved differently for each series. Experimentation (in both bodies of work) is always important to me and always informs the resulting image. In the case of the Nocturnes the image arose from intermixing water with the flame from a large industrial torch. With these new works, I’ve tried to create a visually stimulating accumulation of (often minuscule) marks on the wood surface using the tiny flame from a jeweler’s torch. I want the myriad of marks and the wood grain to suggest the treetop leaves, the forest floor or drifting snow - in short, the illusion of space and light in the natural world. When not in the studio, I take every opportunity to spend my free time outdoors in each of the distinct seasons we enjoy in New England. These new works are rooted in and inspired by my cycling, hiking and splitboarding trips in the Berkshires Hills of western Massachusetts.
My earlier work, the Nocturne Series was inspired by walking at night in the light filled streets of American cities; those drawings were often mistaken for soft focus sepia toned photographs. My present work is a considerable departure in regard to content, execution and appearance - from those dark, abstracted cityscapes, my current drawings are light filled, clearly rendered landscapes. The burning process I use to make my drawings evolved differently for each series. Experimentation (in both bodies of work) is always important to me and always informs the resulting image. In the case of the Nocturnes the image arose from intermixing water with the flame from a large industrial torch. With these new works, I’ve tried to create a visually stimulating accumulation of (often minuscule) marks on the wood surface using the tiny flame from a jeweler’s torch. I want the myriad of marks and the wood grain to suggest the treetop leaves, the forest floor or drifting snow - in short, the illusion of space and light in the natural world. When not in the studio, I take every opportunity to spend my free time outdoors in each of the distinct seasons we enjoy in New England. These new works are rooted in and inspired by my cycling, hiking and splitboarding trips in the Berkshires Hills of western Massachusetts.
PRESS RESUME PRESS RELASE
