Don Seastrum

For the past four decades my work has been a continuing investigation into the essence and nature of constructed images as individual entities that are neither reliant, nor dependent upon a one to one reproduction of the subject matter referred to in the work of art.

During this period of inquiry I have come to understand that these representations are not descriptions of the thing that has happened, a copy, but rather a depiction of a kind of thing that might happen, an interpretation, never intending that the interpretation should be seen as something other than a drawing, a print or a painting.

Presented in this context, the work I do is both informed and inspired by the time I spend in Italy and Switzerland, as well the region of Colorado where I live. Although precisely articulated my works are rendered with no intent at naturalistic description. Since copying is not the desired end, it is the process of choosing specific images, colors, values and patterns of organizat... read all

During this period of inquiry I have come to understand that these representations are not descriptions of the thing that has happened, a copy, but rather a depiction of a kind of thing that might happen, an interpretation, never intending that the interpretation should be seen as something other than a drawing, a print or a painting.

Presented in this context, the work I do is both informed and inspired by the time I spend in Italy and Switzerland, as well the region of Colorado where I live.  Although precisely articulated my works are rendered with no intent at naturalistic description.  Since copying is not the desired end, it is the process of choosing specific images, colors, values and patterns of organization for the individual composition that becomes my principle creative concern.  To identify this principle of choice within my work, flattened plains and subjective color are used with objective values to underscore the distinction between the models, and the interpreted images referring to those models, stressing the fact that they are painted forms, pigment on canvas, drawn, graphite on paper, or lithographic crayons on stones hand pulled in limited additions.  Adding to the distinction between the referenced subject as models and the interpreted images within the work, I employ an original design technique fusing the distortion of forced Renaissance perspective into regions of broken picture planes. The interpreted images are placed on these enigmatic planes, resulting in a somewhat unsettling, yet compelling depiction of potential realities.

The results of this procedure are compositions expressed in terms of the essential nature of descriptive works of fine art, classically modern and representational, unifying form to content.