Piano.No1

Acrylic on Plexi
14"x13.75"

Succulent.No.1

Acrylic on Board
4"x4"

In & out

Acrylic on Plexiglass
14"x13.75"

I painted this looking through the living room window when the light inside the house was equal to the light outside the house.
The window compresses all the values together while leaving small points of dark, and light.

XYZ.no.1

Acrylic on Board
4"x4"
NFS

This last year an art critic/Historian named James Elkins lectured as a guest speaker at the U of O. THere were many dissapointed students and teacers for various reasons which have faded away. A year later I came across his acclaimed books in the magnificent Powells bookstore. I picked one up called "What Painting is". His writing is accessable and so are his insights. The premis of the book is to speak about painting throught the language of alchemy the psuedo science. For about a year I have considered painting to have alchemical qualities and am excited that an art historian would approach painting throgh the eyes of an alchemist. So it is apropriate that Mr. Elkins is not what he seemed.

"Water and Stones the unpromising ingredients of two very different edeavors...In Alchemy, the Stone (with a capital S) is the ultimate goal, and one of the purposes of alchemy is to turn something as liquid as water into a substance as firm and unmeltable as stone. As in painting, the means are liquid and the ends are solid. And as in painting, most of Alchemy does not have to do with pure water or pure stone, but mixtures of the two."
(James Elkins)

Yamhill.no.1

Acrylic on Plexiglass
14x13.75
NFS

A painting of The new studio on Yamhill! I need to give a shout out to Taggart and Jenny for so kindly letting me paint in their sun room for the winter. Thankyou. When winter came last year I exclusivley turned to drawing with charcoal on paper. This winter agian I have done away with color. It is hard to say for sure if this is becuase of the season (seceretly I think it is). During the winter time I make reductive decisions. Spaces that I paint are internal ones. Naturally it is a time to hibernate. However this does not mean it is a time to be lazy. There is a lot of work to be done. Mostly with trimming away excess habits, and patterns and laying the foundation for a new path. For me Winter is the time for building a foundation. Ideally only traces from the last series of paintings should linger. Upon reflection during fall I became lost, and confused enough about painting that I can finally continue again with a new project.
I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. (chinese proverb)

Alberta ParkNo.1

10"x15"
Charcoal

I go to Alberta park to run. It is roughly two city blocks long by one city block wide. The trail around it is made of bark chips which is soft to the foot. Instead of running there today I brought my charcoal and paints. There are some giant trees there which are not only good for drawing but also for running under. In the summer they keep out the sun, and in the winter they keep out the rain. Recently we had a wind storm. On that day, about a week ago I decided not to go running there because I didn't want to get hit by a falling limb. Sure enough, when I went there today there were giant limbs all over the ground. Dogs were sniffing them, maybe they were smelling squirl tracks.

Split in Two

Ball point pen on Scrap Paper
2"x2"
NFS
Most of the time my doodles end up forgotten. However after finding these three I thought that they represented, in a round about way, the biological process of Mitosis. To make these drawing I start out with one simple shape and keep building slightly different shapes together until a whole is formed. It was by pure luck that the series shows a shape splitting in two. I make simple drawing like this before I fall asleep or while I am at work during slow periods. I like watching them grow because their final form appears as a surprise to me. In this sense the process is akin automatic writing.

Double Tree

Water Color
4"x4"


I painted this painting in forest park, an amazing place where I go to as frequently as possible. There are two simular trees because I was thinking about how the patterning of the branches seemed so similar but chaotic. To simplify painting it on paper I just decided to literally paint the tree twice to start a pattern. I am also interested in copies, and reproduction, both mechanical, and sexual. Miranda says "The reason men make art is so that they can reproduce"...
Painting and copies have an interesting relationship. There are strong associations with painting being original and or unique...In a different vein, copying and mimicry is a very good way to learn, which is how many people learn to make paintings. Something to consider.

Kitchen

Guache
8"x11"

To purchase email collinjanke@hotmail.com

I am reading a book called the "Daily Practice of Painting" writings between 1962-1993 by Gerhard Ricther
He says a lot of paradoxical statements which has the effect of describing contemporary painting very specifically.

He is in an interveiw and is asked:
"Do you take the view that art and painting are becoming superfluous, because what is needed now is direct social and political involvement? Some artists have regarded this as sufficient reason to throw away thier brushes.
Certainly not. Eating doesn't become unimportant, making love doesn't become unimportant. All children paint, all Lunatics paint, for me there is no future in giving that up. Not becuase I am sick, or becuase I want to make money at it-painting has become the thing that makes my life possible."

-Gerhard Richter

EggCrate

Watercolor
6"x6"

"Painting has nothing to do with thinking, becuase in painting, thinking is painting. Thinking is a language-a record keeping-and has to take place before and after. Einstien did not think when he was calculating-he calculated-producing the next question in reaction to the one that went before. Just as in painting one form is a response to another and so on"
-Gerhard Richter