By Donald Schenkel
74 x 60 cm, 2023
Oil paint on linen, with walnut wood

These paintings are a result of his continuing research into the approach of paintings as objects, and the combination of oil paint with other materials. There is something interesting in turning the organic look of wood into this industrial, fine polished surface. Combining his signature gradients with wood allows him to further explore the creation of abstract shapes, a recurring element in his practice. Working with these materials interrupts the illusion of the gradient as an endless depth. The grain of the wood flows along the surface and seems to indicate a certain direction, much like the gradients seem to imply a movement in the transitioning colours.