Yoshiaki Mochizuki

Gallery Affiliations: Marlborough Chelsea

Region: Northeast

In my paintings, I build up layers that coexist rather than having a top layer dominate those beneath. One of the layers might consist of burnished lines without color, while another might be scratched with lines that reveal the white gesso below. The burnished lines do not hide the underlying color; they create a kind of polyphonic effect on the surface. Each layer looks different depending on the angle from which you see it. In most cases, what looks like a layer is in reality just a constellation of lines, but I call them layers because they are spread all over the surface. Direct experience of the work is indispensable for really seeing it. I accentuate the complex, textured surfaces of my paintings and the reflections they create, as well as the surrounding space, in order to emphasize (and remind the viewer) that my painting is meant to be an experience, one requiring time, bodily movement, and repetition.