Russell Shoemaker
Region: Midwest
City / State: Kansas City, MO
I began this series immediately following a long trip through
South Asia, influenced by the fragmented remains of so many
once-prominent temples. For me, seeing stacks of precious
remnants in those sites contributed to a growing dialogue in my
work—the accumulation of bits of histories long after they have
lost their modernity.
Sanding down failed paintings and building on their remaining
surfaces, I take care to work in a way that preserves their history.
Through painted constructions, I reflect both a ghost of memory
and a sober nowness. I consider our memory a tentative lexicon—
subject to outside influence, both true and untrue. This continues
to inform the tendency of these works to be erratic, while uniform,
fragmentary, and repetitious.