ARTIST STATEMENT: MADOLIN MAXEY

TAKE-NO-KO
small, rapidly growing bamboo shoots

Japan speaks in simple, serene, pristine elements. It is a visual experience like none other. Boldness of color and shape flirt with wood and paper. Japan is bright yet mysterious.

Spring 1997 I was fortunate in being given studio space in Kyoto, Japan. These paintings evolved from the extensive drawings, small works, and sketchbooks created during that time. The emancipation of color, shape, and line is evident in all aspects of Japanese life. It is enough to speak in one simple brush stroke, one bold line, one wooden shape, one expanse of red. My spoken language was frighteningly simple. Beautiful whispers gave way to staccato comprehension. The Take-no-ko paintings reflect this continually shifting ground where reality is reassembled.