Dave Martsolf Artist Statement
September 1st, 2008 - Windham, NH
Dave Martsolf's Artist's Statement
As I reviewed years of past work, it came as a shock to me that my style would never settle down. I have ended up with a hand-drawing personal style that I love, but also with a photo-realistic collage style that I also love. On top of that I continue to enjoy small explorations in every direction. What you see here is the end result.
Regarding my personal drawing style, it is in its simplest essence the line; the drawn line and what it represented as the delineation of a form, a space, almost the way a topographical line feels out the form of a hill, the way a blind man feels out the tender forms of his or her lover.
It is also the signature of the vibration of life and life's emotions, twisted by the influence of others, fighting for a day in the sun, learning the way of calm, the mastery of the surf and the swell of love and anger.
Brownian motion, cosmic ray decay in the cloud chamber, elemental particles, the paths of chaos, entropy, and rejuvenation, it has all come down to the line. And, now that this is understood, and the hand is finally freed to follow the waveforms, we can only guess the worlds that will be discovered as spaces begin to be filled in with color, light, and shade. Gravity and the force of life stand against each other in balance, bathed in the energy of now that no one understands. Amazing.
Then, there is the surreal visionary style conceived in the bowels of endless empty space. Worlds come out of nothing to define and fill empty space with form and reflected light. Somewhere the two basic styles of real-world conceptual surrealism and personal drawing style meet. That meeting has generated a third style shown in one of the collections you will find here.
On and on it goes. Thanks, if you managed to get the end of this long soliloquy. Drop me an e-mail anytime on any subject. In spite of my big mouth I am also a good listener. Dave's my name. Integration is my game.