Chaos and Cosmos
the process of art making as a paradigm for the living world
“This work is a meditation on the patterns of living things explored through the process of drawing and painting. My way of working balances on an edge between the unity and connectedness of cosmos, and the unknown, uncontrollable, even dangerous territory of chaos.
I am interested in the ever-changing diversity of life cycles as they exist within unseen realms. I often use patterning and other imagery to suggests microscopic or sub-atomic life forms. I am particularly fascinated by the theoretical idea of a unified field existing in a world seemingly fraught with entropy, and I strive to reflect this in the way I work.
I work on many pieces simultaneously, constantly layering marks or masking them out; taking surfaces apart or reassembling them in other forms. This continuous cycling and re-cycling of the materials creates a sense of the deconstruction of chaos connected to the creative energy of cosmos that exists at all levels of life. The tension that arises from their mysterious interaction is the driving force of my work.”
- Shelly Hehenberger
