I make paintings depicting toys, tools, feral beasts, and strong opinions with a nod toward expressive abstraction. Familiar objects transform into harbingers of provocative questions. By stitching the past into the present through quotidian, the collective meaning of simple things shift. It is through this shift that a subversive narrative can emerge.
A palpable tension can be observed when painting with a brush is combined with printmaking. I often use stencils and direct printing to deliver the pigment because printmaking facilitates repetition. It is through repetition that familiar objects often become symbolic versions of themselves, deepening their resonance.
Marrying the graphic quality of printing with the visceral characteristics of paint is an exciting way to invite unexpected solutions for color and composition. Combining printmaking and painting helps me to uncover the hidden narrative in each individual project. By working with and about physical materials, I am able to facilitate connections between process and subject.
Val Sivilli 