Brian Caraway

Artist Statement:

On my quest for the perfect image, I am constantly searching for compositions that test the limitations of vision. I play with the subtleties of perception by shaping frequencies of pattern and space. My means are color and line; the end is to create a vibration in your brain. I use a variety of voices for expressing this idea. With drawing and painting I incorporate stencils and masks in my attempts at creating the perfect mark. With cassette tapes I am able to present a precise, consistent array without manipulating paint—a mechanical unit for regulating my marks: repeatable, unchanging.

I have an affinity for systems of repetition. Although, I am not solely held in that framework; many of my compositions are completely random, built on intuition. The marks I make, however mechanical they appear, carry a natural wabi-sabi—perfectly imperfect, if you will. Successful pieces are a harmonious manifestation of my color sensibility—being a product of the 80’s—and a dialog that I am dreaming up between my vision, and the visual pioneers of the 50’s and 60’s. It is the subtle phenomenon that I am after. Allowing color to reverberate, like sound, creating two, or three colors where only one physically exists.

This work comes from, and hopefully alludes to, a certain state of mind.  Like loosing your sense of scale when standing amongst tall trees, gazing upwards. Like staring at the sun, but not quite as dangerous. Like jumping into the water at the center of a lake, with no chance of ever touching bottom.

All images are courtesy of Chandra Cerrito Contempoary

Brian Caraway lives and works in Oakland, CA. He received his BA from San Francisco State Univesity in 2000 and his MFA from Mills college in 2009. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally.