RETE-CHROMES 
(rět-ě-krōms)

Since 1998, I have been applying thin layers of pigment, both directly and indirectly, to open-weave backings (or screen) to create images of varying translucencies held afloat in a sheer grid. I call the resulting artwork Rete-Chromes (rete is Latin for "net"; chrome is Greek for "color").

 

References to the natural world (landscapes, microscopic views, underwater environments, etc.) and to man-made elements (walls, doorways, sacred texts, scrolls, etc.) are embedded in the work. As organic expanses counterbalance crisp edges of containment in a collage-like juxtaposition of color and pattern, the Rete-Chromes serve to merge different realities and assist in synthesizing experience and creating a feeling of wholeness. My use of woven screen functions as both the physical and the metaphoric underpinning of the work, with reference to the filtering process of memory and the structuring process of reason.

 

The open-weave backing of the Rete-Chromes allows for the modulation of light throughout the surface as well as for complex cast shadows, resulting in a rich interplay with the environment. Thus, they are best viewed hanging at a slight distance from a wall, where shadows are an important aspect of imagery. Those designed as two-sided artworks can also be viewed hanging mid-air, to allow both sides to be seen. The Rete-Chromes seem to change as one moves around or past them, transformed by shifting relationships. Ranging from over 15 feet to under 15 inches, they have been widely exhibited as individual pieces or elements in larger installations.

 

The Rete-Chromes  on this website are organized into chapters, each with a general but non-exclusive theme based on the evolution of ideas and techniques. Within each chapter, works are arranged in reverse chronology with the most recent pieces first.