I have been constructing large-scale, multi-canvas installations for quite awhile, from Zen/Dot/Energy’s “Equilibrium” to the more recent “In the Land of the Thunder Dragon,” a work from my new series Buddha Head. Working with large-scale installations makes the art much more powerful, creating an experience that you can’t get from the tiny square canvases that one often finds nowadays hanging in a gallery. Installations envelop the viewer, inviting them into the imagery and producing a strong emotional impact.
Working with installations generally requires a more complex, engaging creative process. Each individual canvas needs to be able to stand on its own but also serve its purpose in the full piece without throwing off the compositional balance. Using collage studies, I am able to plan out the artwork before I begin painting to ensure that the full piece works cohesively.
Working with multiple smaller canvases also serves a more practical purpose. Constructing packaging for large canvases is time-consuming, and shipping the artwork for exhibition can prove expensive. By making installations that break down, you can then pack them into smaller boxes and pay lower shipping costs to send them out to galleries. If your packaging exceeds a certain size, it can’t be shipped via a regular shipping method, say FedEx Express, and may require freight or a specialized art shuttle. By fitting multiple canvases into a smaller box, you can avoid this restriction and ship much more economically. If necessary, you can also send individual sections of the installation to serve as a representative of the whole in an exhibition as well.
The following are some examples of installations I have made in the recent years:
