Tim French, Artist of the Year 2017

SlowArt ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2017

TIMOTHY FRENCH

Self-portrait With Hands Tied 20� x 16� Oil on board I am a college professor. My hands are tied if I desire to help those that have problems beyond art. I desperately want to advise the addicted and the emotionally troubled, but I am stopped by the rules. I am told to hold my tongue. In my work, the shark image represents the forces beyond my control. They are predators awaiting destruction.

TIMOTHY FRENCH Artist of the Year 2017

All artwork and images in this publication are under the exclusive copyright of the artist

LIMNER GALLERY

123 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534 518-828-2343 www.limnergallery.com TheLimner@aol.com

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Timothy French 1

Timothy French

My art work is a reflection of my quest to recognize the truth behind the veil of civility. I seek to unmask what is presented outwardly, and reveal humanity in direct conflict with its own cultural constructs. Through my work, I choose to examine a world where people, me included, are flawed. Everyone at some point possesses a degree of benevolence; however, benevolence is not an issue that requires attention. It is malevolence that that requires examination.

Once it is recognized we are left with a choice, to further the behavior or try to understand the consequences of the action or conduct and change it, but first it must be recognized. Philosophically this is what binds my work together.

My paintings and drawings are also the result of a process aimed at keeping anxiety at bay, while trying to realize its source. Far from being exclusive, this method can be used by anyone and not only those with artistic skills.

Art is social; therefore it is an expression of the human condition. Anxiety is a very real and 2 Timothy French

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frightening human condition, and through self examination and art I have responded positively to negative emotion. For me art has to be more than a celebration of formal triumphs or clever concepts; it must include the process in its entirety, or it does become exclusive.

I refer to my work as art from the abyss; it represents the process of making a body of work. I have metaphorically brought from below some of the dark or negative aspects of my personality. The exposed or revealed aspects are given an image and a title to give identity to human emotions such as irrational fears, rage, and aggression. Giving these emotions an identity disarms them, allowing for a less anxious approach to dealing with my demons rationally and constructively. I use the word demon as a representation of an irrational response to anxiety. The method used in creating these pieces can be explained as a threshold ritual, which is an excessive, even irrational concern for detail and repetitive motifs. I have always claimed my art is a catharsis and indeed art making for me relieves emotional tensions; the physical repetitive marks of my work and over populated compositions are evidence of my compulsion for this activity. The obsessive need to repeat this process has become the method that has in turn helped create my style. My art represents an expenditure of energy in a very controlled way, and the end result leaves an atmosphere of unresolved tension within the composition. I want my work to feel as if it were about to evolve or change into something beyond the cultural constructs; and expected reactions to aesthetic history.

The techniques employed in the works are traditional oil painting and drawing methods that have been used successfully for centuries. The oil paintings combine drawing, under painting, direct painting, and glazing techniques. I have combined these techniques with an obsessive method to create imagery that could easily be perceived as, and has been referred to as surrealistic. A Surrealist’s paintings have influenced the visual style of my work to some degree. For many years I took a great interest in the paintings of visionary, dream-like imagery of Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali; at one point I was referring to my own work as “Surrealism� yet disregarded the fact that I did not really understand exactly what the term meant. It was not until I finally grasped their philosophy that I realized that there are certain aspects of Surrealism that apply to what I am producing now; for example, the Surrealists

desire to confront the irrational is at the core of my own work. However, unlike the Surrealist, I desire to examine, understand and positively integrate the rational and irrational. My goal is to bring to consciousness negative traits in order to disarm them by recognition. This desire alone contradicts the Surrealists dedication to a revolution of pure thought.

“Pure thought” is an idea opposed to rational thought. According to the Surrealists spokesperson, Andre’ Breton, rational thought is dictated by culture, social morality or political influence, and is responsible for repressing pure human expression. The Surrealists were interested in achieving a pure state of mind by any means that could reach past the perceived limits of rational thought.

The Surrealist used stark juxtapositions of unrelated objects gathered together in a place foreign to them all and they experimented with dream imagery as well as utilizing elements of chance.

All of these experiments were designed to bypass conscious thought and allow an entry into the subconscious. Like the Surrealist I want to confront the irrational; however, my mission is to understand the conflict that arises from the confrontation of cultural values and irrational thoughts, before they become irrational actions.

It is through art that I turn toward psychological and social issues to lessen their power. Through my work negative emotions are identified, named and given an image; a transformation has taken place. Frightening emotional issues become visual caricatures within a non-threatening context, where they can be understood. Understanding creates tolerance, and lessens fear and distrust. The metaphorical abyss is not just a repository for potential evil, but an important source of positive, creative energy.

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My Bad 18” x 12” Oil on panel

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Timothy French 3

From Here We Rule 12� x 16� Oil on board

The misshaped and misunderstood are often cast aside. In these paintings I give them a world of their own. They rule their world in peace and love.

As always in my work gravity is optional.

Rex is the good king of the people of the realm depicted in From Here We Rule. Remember in all my work gravity is optional

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Rex 12” x 16” Oil on panel

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Timothy French 5

Contemptuous Bloom 20” x 16” Oil on panel

The painting titled Contemptuous Bloom directly addresses the lineage of fear,hatred,violence,and perversion. An evil mind that reproduces itself by recreating the same conditions that created it. I love to make works that are raw, detailed and not filtered through anyone’s good taste or sophistication. The truth can be blinding without our cultural sunglasses, but it is worth trying to see.

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Blue Honey 16” x 20” Oil on board

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Timothy French 7

Fadoris 12� x 12� Oil on board

Fadoris, concerns men intruding into things only meant to concern female realms. This is an imbalance that causes contentious issues. Her head is a womb. I believe two can become one flesh.

It is only then both can understand a union. One dedicated to each as one. True balance.

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Wren 11� x 14� Oil on board Wren is the proctor of life. It measures life spans and dirty deeds. Test it without judgment.

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Timothy French 9

I foresee a time when humans can only speak through devices.

They have lost inflection and real human communication.

Speechless 11” x 14” Graphite on Bristol

Fingers represents the person we all have known that has Their manipulating fingers in every drama

Fingers 11” x 14” Graphite on Bristol

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Double Mind Graphite on Bristol 11� x 14“

The drawing Double Mind represents the impulses that lead a person away from what they wish the world to see. It manifest it self in back biting and gossip. The person that promises then to be there but is a no show. The ones that say one thing in public but says another in private.

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Timothy French 11

The Device 11� x 14� Oil on board

Our world is obsessed with devices. Inspired by elongated skulls and another time in the past or future where the same obsession exists/existed.

I believe there is nothing new under the sun.

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More Dogs Than Bones 12” x 12” Oil on panel We have all at some point found ourselves with more problems than solutions. I understand this issue very well, but sometimes as time goes by and we don’t panic it seems to work out. Humor has become a way to cope. l find this painting makes me laugh because of the ridiculous and frustrated look of the subjects face. Most answers to problems are found within the problem itself.

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Timothy French 13

The Magnificent Mendax 10� x 12� Oil on panel This represents the willful liar. The drug dealers both legal and otherwise. Unscrupulous doctors and drug companies only interested in profits. These creatures will remove a perfectly good lung to make a buck. The Mendax is a salesman and a politician, in other words a liar.

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Killing The Partisan 10� x 12� Oil on board Killing the Partisan refers to the ridiculous idea of division among ones own self. Like the clown shooting the hand puppet that contains his own hand.

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Timothy French 15

Paradigm Shift 6� x 8� Oil on board In this painting the subject suddenly realizes that everything he thought was true has changed. The paradigm has shifted.

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Go Devil 40�d Oil on panel This painting represents a clearing away of elements that have obstructed flow and growth in a violent way. An extreme change of heart.

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Timothy French 17

Hubris 8� x 12� Oil on board

Hubris concerns mans impetuous nature double minded actions without thought.

Impact Prophets (pg. 19) pokes fun at the big 2012 Mayan end of the world scare. This was done in 2011. We are still here.

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Impact Prophets 8” x 11” Oil on board

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Timothy French 19

Inhibitor 9” x 12” Oil on panel

SlowArt All artwork and images in this publication are under the exclusive copyright of the artist.

SlowArt Productions, 123 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534, www.slowart.com Produced 2017 in Hudson, New York ~ Printed in The USA

At right: Orcus Valve 18” x 24” Oil on panel

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