In February of this year I watched a 1995 PBS documentary titled Robert Motherwell: Storming the Citadel. I recommend this film to people who want to understand the work of the abstract expressionists in the 50s and 60s. It's awesome.
That film acted as a catalyst for this new collection of paintings. The Black Show.
I was inspired by Motherwell's paradoxical approach to painting. He was very instantaneous, spontaneous -- but also guided by a discipline that didn't allow him to "cheat," or just throw paint down, willy-nilly. There were ethics to his spontaneity.
I quit smoking cigarettes almost a year ago and that prevented me from making art. I couldn't break the association between smoking and painting. Every time I'd get near my studio, and think about painting, I'd want to light up again. But the Motherwell documentary made me courageous, and got me off of my ass.
Finally, once I was back in the studio and actually working, I noticed that my style and approach to painting had shifted radically. I lost my former technique -- a sort of methodical, repetitive "over-obsessing" relationship to the canvas. Once painting again, this year, I found I'd become much more direct, playful and semi-feral.
The paintings aren't really all black. There are swashes of color and collage and organic shapes set amongst the interplay of black and white. But I liked the idea of naming a collection: "The Black Show..." So I went with that initial impulse.
View the paintings here >
Frederick is a self-taught artist and graphic and web designer. He has lived on Vashon Island, in Washington, for four years.
Before moving to Seattle he lived 20 years in Hawaii, and worked as an art director for CBS and FOX television affiliates.
He has two cats. One of them is all black -- and named JoJo.
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