Duds (cover image) is an exploration of textural harmony and rhythm. A bit of minimalism.
My approach to painting is as informed by musical concepts as it is by graphic ones. This is especially true when I’m working in the abstract. At those times I feel free to go into a trance of sorts, untethered from the usual strictures of representation. I might begin a piece by making random marks and geometric shapes which I will then proceed to intuitively dance my way around with pigments, employing what I’ve learned about color, harmony, rhythm, and timbre, until a cohesive design—a familiar melody— emerges.
It’s not easy to conjure up a “bio” for art purposes. My current painting frenzy started with a set of cheap watercolors that I had when Hurricane Maria rolled over me in 2017 and left me stranded without electricity or communications for four months. What began as a coping mechanism became a lingering habit that still remains.
-León Santiago
