KEN KARLIC / UNITED STATES

My watercolors can best be described as sophisticated chaos. My main objective is in expressing how something feels rather than how it looks, and in the sheer physicality of a subject captured in a sheer physicality of paint.

Rather than seek only sunny days and green pastures, I embrace the rough edges of concrete, iron, and industry. With spontaneous brushstrokes and textures, I find beauty in the scaffolds, rigging, and grit of everyday life. The character of various types of structure and architecture, or architectonics, is extremely vital in my work, and I’m interested in exploring these forms as vehicles for light and shadow. Fundamentally, I design and build my work with pure geometry and interpret it in a painterly fashion. My paintings have a basis in the representational, but often dissolve into some level of abstraction. Surprises are not only welcomed, but also invited, as marks, scratches, drips and splatters all become part of the final piece. On location or in the studio, I thrive on the experience of not entirely being in control—sometimes I lead, sometimes I follow, and sometimes I hold on for the ride. I typically work fast with a sense of urgency, and ultimately enjoy the contrast of painting quickly while creating a piece to be experienced slowly.

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