The new format I'm working in makes me think of patterns and perception in abstract art. How much does the shape of a canvas or paper influence the final painting? When does a pattern equal design or decoration rather than fine art?
When I'm working on a square canvas, my art tends to be most non-objective, non-representational, and exploratory. A horizontal canvas often leads me to an image with the feel of landscape. A vertical shape seems the most restrictive, and sometimes leads me to images of nature as well.
The series of paintings I'm working on now are in extreme vertical format: 48" long by 8" or 10" wide. They seem to compel me to a patterned image, rich in color but more decorative than exploratory. Perhaps in time I'll find my way to a deeper exploration of composition in this format.
