Essentialism and my Pictorial Art

The author discusses the transition in his painting from figurative to nonfigurative or abstract about 18 or 20 years ago and the work he has done subsequently. The transition involved a stark simplification of subject matter. The nonfigurative works contain but few lines on a plain, generally neutrally colored background. Sometimes simple shapes, e.g. wood discs, are glued to the canvas. The lines are of two kinds: smooth lines as drawn with the aid of a ruler, compass etc. and what he calls ‘free’ lines, drawn in an obviously less steady manner. In his most recent works, he is preoccupied with very simple compositions of vertical and horizontal lines.

He discusses his work in relation to his thoughts on art and, in particular, to a style that he calls Essentialism.