Faith Brancale
Maelstrom
Maelstrom is a discourse on the relationship of opposites. It is a complex study of yin and yang, of two contrasting personalities that complete each other while remaining separate and distinct.
Maelstrom is a series of abstract diptych painting/collages executed in acrylic on wood. On one portion of the diptychs I work with chromatically intense acrylic colors, laying on heavy gel mediums and rough joint compound, continuously scraping, layering, and reworking. On the other side of the diptych I layer white paint and collage over muted colors and simple drawings. This work is quite physical, but each section operates in a different way: where one segment is violent, harsh and colorful, the other is quiet, delicate and subdued.
Maelstrom is a release. It is a dance between chaos and order, heaven and hell. There is a rhythm to Maelstrom that is both musical and spiritual. Each painting has its own particular tempo, embodying a moment in which one entity is more powerful than the other. The interplay in each painting, together with the back-and-forth of the paintings as a series, forms a narrative of struggle and ultimate balance. Maelstrom is a reflection on the interdependence of extremes.