Monrüd Becker
450 Harrison Avenue, Studio #212
Oil painting allows me to focus intently on the endless possibilities presented by simple organic forms. A representational image of an apple or a pear, glowing with life, is no longer perishable, caught forever in its momentary state of perfection.
Layering describes both the materials and the theme of my work in mixed portraiture, which seeks to reveal the inner mystery underlying visible qualities. Building up, then peeling away the surface, searching for the person within: another layer creates a new identity. There is a hint of familiarity, but at the same time certainty is elusive, there is always more- and less- than meets the eye. Charcoal figure drawing enables me to move across a surface with my whole body, in a rhythmic, fluid motion that is incorporated in the visual expression. A sensual treatment of fabric gliding over and around the human form evokes the sense of a second layer of skin.
