Beloved Microcosm

Beloved Microcosm- Logan Weihe 2017 My work is non-objective and abstracted, as it references the human form and also invents new forms, combining the matured physicality of the human body and our beginnings (smaller pieces i.e. cells, atoms). I am interested in the seemingly endless problems that the human body can solve, as well as working towards understanding its limitations both physically and mentally. The intersection of contrary ideas and the forcing of harmony between them fuels my creative process. The idea of opposites becoming one entity both formally and conceptually is rich for me, as I want to explore those points of friction and resolution. My current work involves a process of arriving at a general concept about the body that peaks my curiosity, and then working intuitively with the paint to explore this idea. As I create, I am continuously learning more about the specific scientific process that I choose to inspire each piece. The paintings I produce are spontaneous interpretations of cellular bodily processes, including the illusion of movement as well as the manipulation of composition and color to create energetic worlds. I make oil paintings that speak about microscopic processes visualized through advancing scientific technologies so as to juxtapose the contemporary use of visual technology with a very traditional way of creating. Additionally, I am infatuated with the elements that our bodies are made up of, and employing the gesture of painting, using my physicality to create the image is exciting for me. Jenny Saville’s grotesque depiction of the human form and the visceral quality of her work coincides with my interest in undesirable reality and experimenting with the size and weight of my marks. Lee Bontecou’s work inspires mine in the way she creates cellular like organic forms, often dealing with space that becomes a sort of vacuum. Arshile Gorky fragments the figure in abstract ways in order to tell stories of his past, and from his paintings I seek to better understand emotive color as well as how to use the figure non-objectively. From the sheer number of processes that occur within us each second to the fleshy quality of our bodies, my attraction to the human form comes from my search for the power or force that created our bodies in all of their complexity, whether it be God, chemistry, chance, or something that is not meant to be explained. I strive for my audience to be fascinated with themselves and to see their own body as something remarkable, in its intricacy and flawless execution of thousands of processes.https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art498/1008/thumbnail.jp