From: Gerald Ferguson
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2002
Subject: Re: Layering

Cliff,

Sounds good but you know I was not a "layer" guy. Jeff initiated that territory followed by Garry [Neill Kennedy] and then Eric [Cameron].

My 50 Fish painting from 1994 is "layered" but was not intended to be a "layer" painting. I was simply taking my stencil repertory and serializing it until the image disappeared except for a hint in raking light or a clue at the margins of the canvas. I was doing an inversion or ironic twist on Mies' "Less is More" - 50 Fish was/is "More is Less". 50 Fish led me to the hyperbolic 1,000,000 Grapes which turned into something else.

Don't mean to be fussy. Just want you to know my feelings on the location the my work and my understanding of Jeff's initiation of a rich practice.

OK?

Jerry

__________________

From: Jeffrey Spalding
Subject: RE: Layering
Date: Thu, Nov 21, 2002

Hey, sounds like layering to me!

Sequential applications of paint as discrete units simultaneously covering and concealing prior activities whilst accumulating and revealing-congealing as a new visible form.

...for that matter Jerry, your early two part process dot paintings function on a relatable plane. Each 'layer' as distinct act and identifiable visual entity separating plus combining visually to confound the surface image.

jeffrey