leveille_statement

bert leveille statement

My work is a universal exploration of reality. I challenge the essence of reality. I am fascinated with images that appear to be and yet are not; and experiment with relativity of size, appearance and color. I manipulate the tension between ambiguity and clarity with use of line, color and form. There is a vast wealth of creative energy available to the artist who connects to the collective conscience. I open my brain while I'm working and work from my subconscious; connect to this collective conscience; and selectively manipulate the imagery accessing and building on my personal library of images. My explorations in abstraction have led me to an "alternate" world with "alternate" characters in an "alternate" environment. This "alternate" world is a world that releases the viewer from his/her subjective view of the world; allows the viewer to react to this "alternate" world; and refreshes and prepares the viewer to return to his/her "real" world with a new perspective. It is an artist's responsibility and privilege to create a unique vision. By exploring my subconscious and tapping into the collective conscience, I can get beyond my personal "tunnel" vision. The value of seeing other perspectives, visions, points of view and stirring the imagination is immeasurable. It can lead to a better connection to our selves, to each other, to our world and to the universe. I strive to do this for myself as well as the viewer.

THE PROCESS

My large unstretched acrylics are treated more like tapestries and hung from a stretcher bar at the top. Some of them have materials attached and holes cut into them. I have even painted both sides and installed the canvases from the ceiling exposing the images on either side. Often, I envision the painting hanging and from a distance while I'm working on it on the floor at arms length.

My watercolours are more like water drawings - mixed media with pencil and crayon added and occasionally other collage items. The immediacy and fluidity of the medium facilitate experimentation of the imagery.

Digital paintings are created beginning with a blank computer screen. They are painted digitally with a program called "Painter®" and a Wacom® Tablet and Stylus on a Mac® platform. They are then viewed digitally or printed on archival paper with an Epson® printer and Epson® archival inks.

Whether the medium is oil, acrylic, watercolour , clay or digital the approach is the same - to manipulate the medium while discovering available images and exploring an "alternate" world as it presents itself to me during the process of creating.