dylan strzynski
the energy i discovered in printmaking is something i have tried to carry over into painting.
as a result i have developed techniques that enable me to remove material
from the surface of the painting. i do this by building up layers then scraping and sanding
them away. sometimes i arrive at smooth perfected surfaces, other times i work towards
a very rugged, highly textures surface.
the landscapes i have chosen as my recent subjects mirror the techniques used
to create them in nature. scraping away the surface of the painting is a direct physical
analogy to the way that the landscape is defined by the scraping of glaciers and
machines or the way that an abandoned building weathers wind and rain.
i begin treating my surfaces before the first layer of gesso is spread across the panel
and as a result have become more and more a perfectionist about the surfaces of my
paintings - albeit a perfectionist seeking an imperfect kind of perfection. i may apply and
sand a dozen or more layers across the entire surface of one of my panels.
but the quality of that surface is just as important to the integrity of the finished piece
as the splintering edges of the wood itself. it is those qualities that make a painting
as much a part of the landscape as the shapes and colors depicted in the actual image.

untitled riverside town 11 x 24

progress XVIII 24 x 24

pink trailer 11.75 x 32

winterland IV 48 x 48