Artist Statement 

 

   "I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Many of the images are composed of live broadcast images from the Internet and TV, often recording, in real time, current political, social, cultural events and issues. What emerges is a new style of painting that bridges traditional painting and technology by using the computer as "visual art instrument." The power of technology becomes my brush, pigment and canvas. Through these works I am a part of the American expressionist figurative and abstract expressionist tree, which is rooted in the New York School of painting which continues to push the limits of painting and high art.

 

We are without doubt experiencing a turbulent time since the events of 9/11, resulting in a collective existential crisis. New realities that are rapidly developing in the 21st century have changed the definition of painting. Through the emergence of the internet, computers, digital cameras, holograms, scanners, cams, cell phones and lcd and plasma televisions we have entered into a new era of information-sharing communication and image-making of immense sophistication, which can be showcased on a global scale. We have plunged into a rethink in America, challenging the old ideas that no longer work or are irrelevant. There has never before in our history been the opportunity for a greater renewal in America, whose hidden artistic activities are ready to serve the vital enrichment of its citizens and the global community. I recently visited the Museum of Modern Art and was amazed by the enormous crowd of young faces seriously engaged in the art. Maybe the answer for painting is in these young faces, this beautiful mask of god capable of starting from scratch, devoid of dogma, and open to new possibilities. My art strives to remain youthful and relevant to rethink everything and start anew. Painting is no longer about oil paint on a canvas or linen alone. It is about painting. It is a about a new perception of touch. It is about new sensations and ideas that never existed in the past but which have clearly built a bridge to the present. It is about more then an ornamental object or commodity for sale. It is about human content which points to something beyond the self. Painting is agape.

 

I would like to thank all artists who have sacrificed so much for art who are hidden within the American culture, whose citizens need to get to know you and treat you with greater respect and appreciation.

Daniel Runfola 10. 25. 2009

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