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THE STORY BEHIND ITS DEVELOPMENT: Completed August 28 2009 Aphrodite Venus was painted using acrylics applied to a panel prepared with patches of cement. The panel, light in weight, is of 1/4-inch thick fiberboard, masonite. This painting has within it a stroke of genus. Here's why I dare say that: Paraphrasing Michelangelo, when asked how he created Pieta' and David from marble he remarked, "It was always there within the stone. All I had to do was find it." Well, I can certainly relate to his thinking.
This summer, while passing by the Cherokee Coops located on 78th Street by the East river, I stopped dead in my tracks. By some strange quirk, this large panel lying against the wall seemed to beckon me. Since one side was covered with patches of cement, I assumed it was tossed out due to some alterations. I fell in love with it instantly. At the time I had no idea why I had felt so strongly about such a dirty, cement-covered panel. Nevertheless, I carried it home, washed it off in the shower, and let it dry out on my living room floor. To prevent the warping from worsening, I placed many heavy items on top to keep it flat. After a good night’s sleep I removed the weights, placed it in my living room window, and nailed it there to dry out.
Several days later I noticed a faint profile emerging. As I kept a watchful vigil it became obvious it was that of a woman with a sort of dressing on her head. At one point, I thought it could have been Mother Teresa, or perhaps a native princess. Feeling insecure, I continued to let it dry out until many weeks later. When I became comfortable I picked up a pencil and began sketching the outline of a profile, and then brushed on some white paint where I felt there was some form of headdress going on.
The painting remained unfinished for another few weeks, as I could not figure out how to handle it. As an abstract expressionist impressionist modernist I had not been comfortable with figures. My penchant had been to paint from the heart, with total freedom from restrictions. Finally, one day I got the nerve and started brushing acrylic colors onto the surface. Oddly, covering the cement patches gave me a sense of constructing something important. I found the confidence I needed to trust myself and began developing what I felt was a very natural art form. Before I knew it I had completed one of the most appealing paintings I had ever created. Actually, Aphrodite was always there–all I had to do was find her.
NOT
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