![\"Tricia-Keightley-studio-visit,-Brooklyn.-Feb-20,-2016\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Tricia-Keightley-studio-visit-Brooklyn.-Feb-20-2016.jpg\")
<\/a>\nTRICIA KEIGHTLEY at her home \/ studio, in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn.
\nSat Feb 20, 2016.<\/p>\n
ONE OF THE MOST FUN TIMES, I had last year was visiting the home\/studio of TRICIA KEIGHTLEY and DANIEL DAVIDSON. it’s always an exceptional experience to see the work totally fresh, at the birthing place – where it’s made, and dreamed up, and . . in context. it’s also a rare look behind the lifestyle, and into the reality of a Brooklyn existence. so:<\/p>\n TRICIA and DANIEL co-exist in a small apt\/condo niche that has two floors. the top floor, on the ground level of the small apartment – now condo building, is for living. the bottom level is for their 2 studios. this is the entry living room, very spare and modernist in temperament – it’s a perfect foil for one of Tricia’s larger minimalist ‘fantasy’ canvases. very flat, but still strange, and even trippy. though in a ‘precision of the mind & hand’ – kind of way. the paint looks to be applied very very flat, but actually close-up & in person – there is brushwork, a very subtle world dwells within. <\/p>\n MOEBIUS and future vision – did come to mind. I really like . . <\/p>\n 1. how architectural\/mechanical & ‘real’ it all seems, like a blueprint. yet is so . . ‘unknown’. IN FACT: this work is just<\/strong> as much about the one-on-one, custom-made ‘toned-down’ pigment & paint hues, – as it is . . about the mechanical rendering & the fantasy trippin’ (lightly).<\/p>\n come to think of it: ‘lightly’ rhymes with .. KEIGHTLEY – !!<\/p>\n precision ‘coloring’ – is the absolute key to these works, and why they work so well, even though they are so ‘flat’.<\/a>
\nTRICIA . . with one of her larger paintings.
\nnow, that’s what I called . . a controlled ‘trip’, into the structural ‘unkown’. <\/p>\n
\npart those old school Brooklyn brick walls, here we come. <\/p>\n
\na determined, and focused harmony speaks quietly, throughout. <\/p>\n
\nas opposed to say full-on . . psychedelia.
\nand therein lies – the beauty.
\nkind of like . . spiky plants vs. white-washed brick walls !!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nanother of Tricia’s canvases graces the kitchen – close-by.
\nit’s a super efficient floor plan. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\ndownstairs, a short flight down a circular staircase:
\nTricia in her studio – very efficient, compact and yet still – very much a work in progress.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nclose-up of a drawing on the table. the hands-on expression – is very flat, very detailed, very mechanical. but totally suffused from\/within the soul – of her imagination.<\/p>\n
\nas did architectural toys & . . funny thing: TRAVEL !!
\ngears & geometric shapes – all in flat planes. with wheels, and levers, wing flaps and strange knobs. matte colors, directional ‘clues’, as in the mechanical levers – add some perspective, but all in all – shapes with no shadows ?
\nthis a hot air balloon, without the ‘hot’. everything is on the down-low and cool – but the imagination . . rumbles.
\nit’s the mind – that sparks up. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\na small canvas nearby.
\nvintage TINKER TOY sets – anybody ?<\/p>\n<\/a>
\ndetail of painting above.<\/p>\n
\n2. the spatial concepts
\n3. the mechanical aspect
\n4. the super ‘mixed’ hues & color pigments. the matteness.
\n5. the draftsmanship
\n6. it never falls off – into surrealism, or cartoon narrative, or indeed any specific story, or mood. nor descends into abstract expressionism, gloop-iness, or ‘collage’, for even a second. no ‘primitive’ ‘fruit’ ‘shark’ ‘watermelon’ trending here.
\n7. it flies it’s own . . course. literally.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nanybody else know what Tinker Toys are ?
\nas opposed to say: Legos. or wooden Lincoln log sets.
\nbut what I really meant to say, was: dig those KNOBS !!
\nall playing about on a very flat, very shallow surface. re: depth.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nback to that drawing board of a table: skills. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\nprecision drawing of the endless . . imagination.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe moment you start to realize . . some are<\/em> less about architectural rendering, they are actually designs<\/strong>, blue-prints for . . . sci-fi vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nreal-life mechanical . . inspiration.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nindustrial . . yes !! <\/p>\n<\/a>
\na work in progress . . .<\/p>\n<\/a>
\njars and tiny tubs of paint – attest to the ‘mixing’ going on – those are not<\/strong> just your standard 3 primary colors – !!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\njars & jars & probably years & years, of . . home-made color hue mixing . .
\ngetting it just . . right-ley !!<\/p>\n
\nand ‘flat’ – is way<\/em> harder than you think.
\nthat’s why they say . . super-flat !! as out of Japan, and going back to their traditional woodblock prints.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nmechanical . . woodblock – color field ?<\/p>\n