Artist Statement 2017

I'm always at odds with making artist statements. I recognize the importance of explaining in written form the ideas and motivations behind the work, but a) I paint them because I cannot write them and b) writing about them distills the ideas into more definable terms when what I like about art is how un-nameable it can be. Ah well, I guess I like shows and artists grants as much as the next person so I'll play the game ;)
Here's my current stab at trying to articulate myself in written form:

Pete Kohut approaches painting as a way to explore the edges of where figuration ends and abstraction begins. While using the stripe as vehicle for mark-making, Kohut creates images that question our perception of objects in the illusionary space of the flat picture plane. Specific to his current series of paintings, the twisting forms depicted in these images hover at that moment where they are recognizable but not fully resolved, as they collide, compress, and overlap each other. Kohut's attraction to conventional materials of painting ie. oil on canvas or wood panel, acknowledges the tradition of painting but also looks forward to where painting might fit in the contemporary world.

Studio view, wips