“Although there is seldom a pre-conceived image that I start with, there is a clear determination of where I want to travel with each painting. It is rather like being blindfolded and asked to walk around the land you have lived on most of your life. Also, imagine cliffs surrounding all the exterior edges. Although there is a familiarity of the space you have walked many times, there is the danger of going too far in any one direction. Over the years I have been continually fascinated and in search of combining luminosity with the layered surface of buried or forgotten images. In an attempt to record my present and past thoughts and memories, I place as many images, markings and words as possible into the process of each painting. I am continually editing myself in hopes of reaching a balance of noise and solitude. The images and textured surfaces represent the energy and activity level I experience throughout the day, while the light and open space of the paintings signifies the more reflective moments. – Mark Perlman
