Chuck Downs

I am fascinated how different angles and points of view invite the viewer to perceive the meaning of objects in entirely new ways.  I can test the boundaries of the real and abstract "the conscious and subliminal" by experimenting to see how much of an object can be omitted yet still remain recognizable.  

The process begins when I venture out to explore the shapes and shadows of natural and human-made objects.  The images discovered in my explorations are assembled into compositions that relate to each other on the basis of shape, texture or mood.  Portions of each image are then covered with translucent layers of acrylic paint evoking dreamlike textures and shapes. 

My work combines painting and photography to allow a degree of articulation which neither medium can express on its own. More significantly, they represent my fascination with shape itself.