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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.

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).

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).

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

Abstract Expressionism   |    Experimental Art    |   Landscapes   &   Monotypes

Either way...

 

~ Cheers, y'all!

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Empty paint canisters; salvaged discards from a painting session, for "Inner Cosmos"

Empty Canisters

2016

A dense web of string, paper cuttings and dripping paint; used as a diversion to mask exposed signs of emotional distress

An Evasive Confession

2016

Vibrant paint splatters and loose random marks that resemble electrical signals induced by sensory input

Exploring Inner Vastness

2017

Chaotic and heavy black marks, appearing to be restrained by assertive metallic bronze and gold swirls

Extinguishing Darkness

2017

Subtractive Monotype |  Overlapping hand impressions, anterior view with slightly cupped palms; pulled from a dark blue colored plate before hand-pressing onto paper

Feeling Around in the Dark

2016

A word puzzle that illustrates my flirtatious ineptitude, often feeling tongue-tied and inarticulate when engaging with an attractive woman

Finding the Right Words

2012

Mixed Technique Monotype | The depiction of a fish out of water, gasping for breath

A Fish Out of Water

2016

A collection of random lines and shapes, all appearing to be in motion, but without a clear destination

The Formation of a Coherent Thought

2023

Subtractive Monotype | Overlapping hand impressions, open palms appearing to have found something unexpected; pulled from a dark plum colored plate before hand-pressing onto paper

A Fortuitous Discovery

2016

Subtractive Monotype | Clasped hands, as if in panic, pulled from a black and dark plum colored plate before hand-pressing onto paper

The Frantic Seizure

2016

Subtractive Monotype | A single hand impression, anterior view with palm up and slightly cupped, cradling a glowing object

The Fruit of Illumination

2016

A near-realistic rendering of a shallow stream that runs through Hyde Park, Austin; started en plein-air (on site, in open air) and finished in the studio

Hidden Stream

2013

An energetic depiction of intense psychological labor, expressed in what appears to be a forcefully produced arch bridging two instances of frantic activity

Hypertension

2017

A loosely rendered, vertically oriented rectangle with uneven edges

I am...

2010

A symbolic depiction of opposites (two independent personalities) attempting to resist their incompatibility; expressed in thoughtfully composed splatters that appear to mingle and repel each other

Incompatible Temperaments

2015

An abstract expressionistic depiction of our inner vastness, with a lunar-esque orb and ghostly figure suspended within a conceptual cosmos

Inner Cosmos

2019

An experimental landscape in mixed media, with dried grass and pressed flowers in the foreground

Landscape with Yard Clippings

2011

An abstract expressionistic depiction of the artist's first encounter with astral projection

Leaving My Body

2012

A frantic and unrestrained blending of various mediums on paper, applied in heavy layers that meld together to convey a sense of distracted commotion

Letting Go

2015

An abstract expressionistic depiction of pent-up energy that has just been released

A Liberated Desire

2016

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Austin, Texas

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

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