“I attempt through my imagination, to make visible the structure of matter.

My interest is in the content and complexity, within the natural forms found in my paintings, as if I were confirming that the images of nature are extraordinarily complicated. I do not observe parts of nature under the microscope, I am not dissecting or analyzing. I have an emotional and intuitive awareness of nature.“

Boundless Worlds, 2001, Acrylic on Masonite, 10x18”

“The essence of nature has been sought through the centuries, by the scientists and artists, with the knowledge and insight of their time.

In our time, we have risen far above the earth and deeply below for new revelations about the natural world. Lenses have been developed to probe into the infinite microworld and show us the poetic ritual of growth and change. Mysteries grow clear, yet more mysterious. It is the wonder and timelessness that invigorates and sustains my work.“

Botanical Form, 1948, Oil on canvas, 20x16”

 “I am not a traveler, except that I do make endless journeys within my paintings.

I travel to and fro, within and around the complexity of nature’s shapes and colors. I have an intuitive connection and reverence for the forms of nature. There has developed in me an increased perception and identification with nature as a living, growing, endless phenomena that is part of us all.”

Canyon Wall, 1974, Arcylic on canvas, 13x10"

“As far back as 1944, at the age of 18, one year before my first exhibition of paintings at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery, my paintings showed strong evidence of abstract, organic imagery.

My paintings, even now when they seem completely abstract, reflect the natural world, earth stratas, botanical and biological forms, primeval and oceanic life, as well as the fascinating worlds of physics and chemistry.“

Organic Form #17, 1944, India ink and white tempera on manilla board, 14x11"

“Through diligent reading on my own of art history and painting techniques and, at one time, making over 100 watercolors in various directions, geometric, surrealist, even making a few collages, I sought my identity as an artist.

It was my discovery of automatism, in 1943, that established an imagery I still pursue today. Automatism was in the air in the 1940s; one can see its apparent influence in the work of Pollock, Rothko, Baziotes, Kamrowski and many others who along with myself were exhibiting at that time.”

Transience, 1984, Watercolor on paper, 11x8"

“My paintings begin out of focus.

I strive to arrive at a clearer, more intense focus. It is true that my paintings are extremely complicated and very detailed to a degree, and at times the detail is barely visible. It is an accumulation of all those tiny marks, lines and dots over the paintings’ entire surface that, in the end, produce an image. That image is the painting. The detail creates movement through the interior of the painting. I try, through my complexity, to evoke a sensitivity to nature’s complexity.“

Seeds and Strata, 1966, Oil on canvas, 17x24"

“Listening to music while working is something I have always done.

I do favor jazz for a very good reason: improvisation. In conversation with the remarkable jazz bass player, Charlie Hayden, we touched on common ground; the role of improvisation in our different worlds. Improvising is essential to jazz. The simplest melody or only a few notes are required for inspired improvisation. In painting, a chance spill of paint or an unusual mark left by one’s brush or palette knife can eventually result in a finished painting or, in jazz, a complete composition. In both painting and music, improvisation can bring remarkable results.”

Windblown, 1958, Oil on canvas, 16x22"

“Nature’s timelessness nurtures my paintings. 

I am continually in awe of the beauty and power of nature. A reverence for the abundance of beautiful structure and color in nature permeates and inspires my explorations through the medium of paint. Nature is an infinite complex of worlds and systems, infinitely variable, whose indescribable energy affects the universe and all forms of life.“

Earth Jewel 7, 1993, Oil on canvas board, 11x7"