by Norman Carr
Songwriters such as Paul Simon and Paul McCartney have claimed that on rare occasions the melody and lyrics of iconic songs in their catalogues have come to them intact and in a creative instant. The idea of Lenny the Hipster had a similar genesis.
Lenny the Hipster, 2022, acrylic on wood and paper - 9 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches
This creative "flash" took this painter of flat objects by surprise. Lenny is my first effort to transform two-dimensional geometric shapes into three dimensions.
Despite the pitfalls and confinement of labels, my most typical and identifiable painting style would be categorized:
Geometric Abstraction
Concrete art (not to be confused with art made with concrete)
hard-edge painting
Other non-objective painting techniques with flat color fields and clean edges
Geometric Abstraction is not as common in America as Abstract Expressionism. A general distinction has geometric abstraction claiming a cerebral approach to color and composition, whereas Expressionism relies on intuition and emotion.
Dense detail distinguishes many of my paintings from Expressionism and even other Geometric Abstractionists. My paintings typically require many hours and small paintbrushes to complete. The largest brush in my toolbox is smaller than many artists' smallest brush.
To stay true to the purity of non-objective painting (that is shape and color without references to material subjects or nature), titles such as Circle Suite No. 7, Shape Symposium No. 8, or Composition With Yellow Squares are most appropriate. Lenny, however, came to life with a posture, presence and nobility of biblical Joseph and his coat of many colors. Lenny deserved, no, demanded to be acknowledged in the title.
*Lenny the Hipster recently sold during an exhibition at Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles, Illinois and is now in a private collection.
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