ARTIST STATEMENT - DEREK WILKINSON
My paintings and drawings function like mirrors that allow the viewer to recognize their own anxiety, silliness, melancholy, joy, discomfort, satisfaction, and other fundamental human states. I place friends and myself as subject matter in these carefully arranged scenarios. Expressive body language and strategically positioned props are used to heighten the tension of the underlying narratives.
Each work serves as a physical record of my performance in the studio. My process begins with raw gestural marks and is gradually refined through many subsequent layers. The works that appear to be the most permanent are often the ones that go through the greatest amount of changes during the process, and the most gestural pieces are the ones that I was able to efficiently arrive at a satisfying result. Just as life is unpredictable and filled with ups and downs, working from direct observation also presents many challenges with an uncertain outcome.