Denise Souza Finney
Artist Statement
My work is a new interpretation of the figure influenced by Abstract Expressionism and Bay Area Figurative art. The manipulation of the representational subject in an expressive way brings emotion to the work, while detail is presented through the complexity of paint layers and the gesture of line and mass. This influence of the randomness of paint through gesture presents a multi dimensional work open to individual interpretation. My use of color gives an additional layer of expression that adds to the sense of development and sensitive content of the piece.
I am intrigued by movement or implied movement and the sentiment expressed through a pose or gesture. My intention is to create a painting that is ambiguous in nature. I believe this can be achieved through the intuitive action of a gesture. It amazes me how one pose repeated numerous times can present a slightly different emotion and action with each rendering, and how our own individual eyes read the same pose differently. I strive to create a figure in which the details of the paint leaves some room for interpretation, creating a much more rich and mysterious work. In my painting process my concentration is with the overall weight and movement of the composition. It is my intention to work towards leaving more and more of the details of the subject out and to show only the movement and energy of the pose and to exploit the inherent properties of paint to create a rich and expressive textural ground.
The subject matter of the figure and the dancer are a contrast between feelings and emotions of a stationary subject compared to a figure in motion. I concentrate particularly on the flamenco dancer because of the high intensity and tragic story that is part of the tradition of flamenco. The intense and erotic movements of this form of dance show a level of passion, sensitivity, and heritage that is somewhat lost in our modern day culture. The paintings of poppies show a more mystical side of life and nature and how humans always seem to be slightly outside that realm of movement instead of a cohesive part of it.