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Peripheral Works

2009 - 2023

gold ornamental design 17
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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A rough outline of the artist, filled with and surrounded by oversaturated swaths of color; an expressive depiction of the artist ruminating on matters of the heart

Lonely Rumination

2012

Reading the image from left to right, this is a  symbolic depiction of someone manifesting their fear, ultimately creating an external tormentor who becomes an obstacle, standing between that someone and his/her object of attraction (another person).

The Looming Presence

2013

Like the undefined emptiness encountered in deep meditation, this drawing is a simple and  psychologically unoccupied rendering of winding lines, with nothing withheld or implied.

Meandering Lines

2015

A barrage of heavy paint markings that create a sense of desperation, with what seems like an illuminated window in the distance (as if light, at the end of a chaotic tunnel)

A Moment of Clarity

2012

It is a tranquil traverse of empty space.

Neurotransmission

2016

An abstract expressionistic depiction of the sights and sounds of the city, after hours

Nocturne of a Pissing Multitude

2013

A conceptual depiction of an unlikely truth, irresponsibly spread in whispers

Only Rumor

2017

A quiet, featureless prairie with an incoming storm in the background

Open Range

2019

An unpremeditated depiction of what the artist perceives as a spider; symbolic of a fear that is often disproportionately directed at something not realistically dangerous (such as the fear one feels when cold-calling for the first time, or - for those of us who are a little shy - introducing yourself to someone you're attracted to).

Persistence of the Irrational

2017

A grassy field with a thick silhouette of backlit trees in the background, captured on a ranch in Georgetown, Texas

Plein Air 01

2013

However, this painting was completely unpremeditated, which means that it is an accidental depiction of irrational fear, as I interpret it; a fear that is often disproportionately directed at something not realistcially dangerous (such as the fear one feels when cold-calling for the first time, or - for those of us who are a little shy - introducting yourself to someone you're attracted to).

Plein Air 02

2013

Backlit treetops, swaying in a sudden gust of wind from an incoming storm

Plein Air 03

2013

Dappled sunlight on  the damp grass of a dirt driveway

Plein Air 04

2013

An expressionistic rendering of the artist's emotional makeup, visually presented as a medical examination of emotional anatomy

Pre-Autoanalytic Deconstruction

2009

A monochromatic (black and white) finger painting, in acrylic, that resembles a cannonball being fired

Projectile

2012

Frantic scribbles made in colored pencils, partially covered by a thin black wash and a layer of coagulated white paint, resulting in a hole made from overworking the sheet of paper

Puncture Wound

2012

A frenzied depiction of someone expelling unwanted feelings, memories and other psychological incongruities in cathartic release.

The Purge

2017

Smeared finger prints, light splatter marks and a dense, slightly off-center scribble that convey a sense of painful compromise through symmetry and tension

Push/Pull

2017

Mixed Technique Monotype | A tubular, amorphous shape appearing to extend beyond the image's intended boundaries

Pushing Boundaries

2016

An imaginary pond, reflecting soft evening light

Quiet Reflection

2017

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Austin, Texas

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

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