“The whole point of having these layers is to create this object that has a physical potential of its own. When you have wet paint and dry paint and layers moving, it's something that I'm responding to.”
The work of Ryan Sullivan is a patient study into painting’s materials and processes. The New York based artist plays the part of alchemist, using the chemical interactions between various types of paint to create breathtaking images of controlled chaos. Throughout the drying process Sullivan periodically tilts the canvas, causing the wet paint to wrinkle and crack, in turn creating richly textured surfaces resembling volcanic sediment. Sullivan’s work intervenes with established notions of “the artist’s touch,” creating expressive compositions without direct touch.