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WALTER MARKHAM, Painter/Sculptor Walter Markham received his MFA in Painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997. Since then, Mr. Markham has participated in numerous exhibitions, curated for Markham/Murray Gallery, NYC and was the founding curator for The September 11 Photo Project which is permanently housed in the archives of the New York Public Library. Currently, Mr.Markham is compiling a book of artist's self-portraits in wax crayon. (See CRAYON GUIDELINES window for details). Tar and Feather Painting Series (Click Tar and Feather window for images of First Variation. Exhibited at the Irving Goldman Gallery, Jersey City, New Jersey. 2002)) What has attracted me to tar and feather my paintings is the significance of meaning that the material suggests. It allows me to ask the question: 'What kind of treatment can painting endure?' Suspending the canvas horizontally on cinder blocks is one formal way to investigate that idea and is the first in a series of six versions(see STUDIES pg. for other Variations*) each using a structural method to hold a tarred and feathered painting up to scrutiny. The painting becomes a type of offering.....In a certain sense, I am attempting to offer a painting up for contemplation to ask about its identity, i.e., How should it be treated? What defines it as a language? How is meaning created and deciphered? The raw and aggressive treatment towards the artwork is in contrast with the formal properties of the piece because as a painting, it maintains an aesthetic appeal. This duality intrigues me because "Painting", as a language, contains a multitude of meanings. What is most important for me is using certain materials and creating particular structures that allow for painting's identity and social function to be questioned; Not to limit its capacity but to augment its possibilities. * STUDIES are completed drawings and are designed to reflect what the work would look like on site....versions 2 through 6 are yet to be realized in actual space. The series can be exhibited in it's entirety or one and/or various pieces at a time. |
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