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Peripheral Works

2009 - 2023

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experimental works, wall display at Gallery Black Lagoon
charcoal color field, on paper
a leafless tree in dry texas plains
subtractive impression of a cupped hand holding a luminous object

The 84 pieces below are a treasure trove of odds and ends, once kept on the edge of periphery and disregarded as random deviations from my primary body of work. Although, they are certainly not of secondary importance.

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These have been informative manifestations, after all, impetuous compositions that have served various purposes; whether as practice pieces, emotional releases, escapes, and/or experiments. And, as they accumulated over the years... they also started to tell a more intimate story about the creative journey, which is both inspiring and heartbreaking; romantic and tragic; discouraging at times; but always illuminating (for those curious enough to keep digging).

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So, if you're feeling adventurous... exploring the fully mixed collection will provide a more faithful experience, encountering the images as they were confronted internally (as a vast swarm of competing impressions, all yearning to be expressed simultaneously).

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Or, if you prefer a more composed experience, you can also filter by category:

Abstract Expressionism   |    Experimental Art    |   Landscapes   &   Monotypes

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Either way...

 

~ Cheers, y'all!

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Subtractive Monotype | The outline of a rose bud, scratched onto a faintly colored plate before hand-pressing onto paper

Antique Rose

2016

An interpretive presentation of the art-making process, conveying how the impulse of expressive yearning utilizes the mind and body as conduits for creative energy

The Art of Alchemy

2016

A nebulous shape bearing a wound, as if sentient and becoming aware of itself, hovering over a densely splatter-painted background that seems to convey a sense of intense stimulation (or perhaps, the capacity to perceive). I can't help but interpret this indeterminate shape as a vague sense of self, casting a shadow only as evidence of its own existence, though still undefined, and as an eager participant in the event of life (trying to find its way).

Attempting Human Form

2016

A textural depiction of an intimate moment filled with mixed emotions; this mixed media painting started with an oil-based rendering of a woman's outstretched hands emerging from a confortable shadow, before dry grass was applied to the drying surface for emphasis (of life's physical nature)

Beneath the Weight

2013

Conceptual depictions of the four classical elements believed to be the universe's fundamental building blocks ; Air, Water, Earth and Fire

Building Blocks

2013

monochromatic paint splotches that look like the bubbling crest of an exploding carbonated drink

Buoyancy

2017

A moment of unfocused distraction, expressed as a psychological commotion rather than an isolated impulse or inquiry; the foundation of what ultimately developed into "The Crumbling Facade"

Catharsis

2016

An interpretive splatter painting that looks like a collapsing mass; something full of energy, and imploding

The Collapsing Dream

2017

A playful (but frustrated) dark wash, concealing what was ultimately a constrained depiction of a leaping ballet dancer

The Concealed Dancer

2011

An interpretive abstraction that looks like a snap shot of parallel progressions, with echoes of similarity (though perceptibly different)

Continuum

2011

"Catharsis", covered by a thick layer of white, crumbling enamel

The Crumbling Facade

2018

A spontaneous and exuberant release of pent-up (creative) energy, with echoes of enthusiasm and uncertainty

Dopamine Rush

2013

A lush, imaginary landscape with green sweeping hills and a cloudy sky

Dreamscape 01

2017

A leafless tree in a dry and brittle landscape, scorched by prolonged summer heat

Dry Texas Plains

2019

A minimalist interplay between indeterminate paint splotches and large swaths of negative space, which ultimately convey a sense of stunned surprise and speechlessness

Dumbstruck

2015

Spontaneous and random markings that resemble motifs found in ancient cave drawings

Echoes of the Past

2020

Watered down paint, added to a sheet of paper that is vertically propped on an easel; creating something that looks animated by its own volition and expressing its own liveliness and poetry

The Effects of Gravity

2017

A conceptual depiction of a conversation with the Self, which looks like the quiet thought process of someone problem solving

An Elaborate Internal Dialogue

2023

A layered abstraction that represents a frantic attempt to capture what can't be defined until realized; our true potential

The Elusiveness of Potential

2017

Muddled and morose layers of black and white paint that ultimately became the foundation for a later piece, "Eye of the Storm".

Emotional Storm

2015

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Austin, Texas

All artwork and photography, copyright 2023, Michael Torres ~ All Rights Reserved

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