George Kochev

George Kochev
Permutations: The Oil Paintings of George Kochev
Forum Gallery
February 22, 2018 – April 22, 2018
Reception:  Saturday, March 24, 2018, 4-6PM

My latest works are a continuation of my interest in color as my primary tool to create objects. What’s distinct about the latest work from earlier bodies of work is the appearance and disappearance of the mass. Creation of objects that have a volume with no mass. Inspired by the artist, Fred Sandback, and in some cases using paintings by Sir Anthony van Dyck as a background, my paintings represent a simple object with physical properties – although they still look like wireframes.

The wireframes have different natures: for instance like yarn or copper wire, stretched or loose, yet in all cases they are placed on a solid background or space. I explore the color wheel with all shades, yet sometimes I limit the colors and stay in certain diapason – creating monochromatic paintings where one color dominates over all others. In other cases, I explore the brightness of all the colors, while balancing them and making them work together.

Night Walk with Angel, Oil on Canvas, 48" x 36"

There is no specific message in my work. My strong believe is that the painting itself has enough power to reach our sensibility. By using this plastic language of paint, I provide the viewer a unique aesthetic and philosophical approach. When I work on an object with volume and no mass, I feel the freedom to choose my own way: in and out, left and right, up and down.

The Home Series
Home is a simple word charged with a lot of energy. The series is based on an earlier small painting called “Nest”. I imagined the large paintings with a different intensity. “Nest” is supposed to resemble a small shared space. “Home” is supposed to represent a larger space with simple shapes. The geometry has been used to represent the simplicity and the natural beauty of the place where our personal choices map the regions of light and loveliness. The palette is chosen as neutral as possible varying from light grey to light misty pink. Usually, geometry is manipulative and we can utilize control over the objects that belong to it. There is no way to control the beauty, because it does not belong exclusively to us. The thin lines in the paintings are free and ephemeral. They belong to the gaze of the viewer.

Biography
George has an MFA in Painting from the University of Cyril and Methodius in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. He has an MS in Computer Science from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, George Washington University. In addition, he studied at the School for Interior Design, at Plovdiv, Bulgaria with a focus on Decorative Arts. Locally, he has shown at the Cosmos Club, George Washington University, George Mason University and the Greater Reston Center for the Arts. In 2009, he was awarded the Strauss Fellowship from the Fairfax Council for the Arts.