Matthew J McConville

60 Panel Piece 2003

While conceptually similar to the Figure in Landscape series (see statement) this piece takes a different form. Originally, I planned on having a piece consisting of 100 12" x 10" panels thematically linked forming a single large work. I finished 80 or 90 panels, but I edited the final work to 60 panels. At this scale it was easier to focus on individual paintings, while maintaining the complexity of the work as it was planned in the beginning.

I felt that I was resolving each of the large figure in landscape paintings in a similar way. The figures were scaled so that you could see their interactions but they were not so large that they seemed heroic. In addition I wanted the landscape and weather to be prominent. I avoided compositions that were tricky or derived from photography. In short it was beginning to feel formulaic. With this piece individual panels could focus on a single element or texture, a bit of sky or skin, as well as compositions similar to the large figure in landscape paintings. Because individual panels didn't have to stand on their own I could mix detailed works with more gestural works. After playing with the arrangement I settled on a configuration that groups the works according to their color or value, as well as trying to create interesting visual combinations and at least one visual pun. The work as a whole is dominated by a dark cool palette, which tends to make the figures look less comfortable. The finished work is about 5'x 15'