Rob Carpenter

LINE (LIN) n. / “the path of a moving point”

“Paths of Moving Points” is the title I chose for this body of work in the year 2012. Though each drawing has the same title, I add at the signature line the month, day and year, to distinguish one drawing from another.

“The path of a moving point” is the art textbook definition of the element of line. You put your pen or pencil on a piece of paper and you make a point. When you move that pen or pencil, the point becomes a line. So that is what I do. Over the course of a drawing, I draw a lot of lines… lots and lots of lines. Line is the only man-made element of art. The other elements are shape, texture, color and value, and they all exist in nature. Lines do not. Line, that rogue element, can be used to visually create a shape, suggest texture, and simulate value. It can have color too. Line is one “badass” element of art.

This series has evolved since 2012. The earliest works began as flat patterns of line. They looked like place mats, as one artist friend suggested. They needed only to be laminated to ward off water and gravy stains! I didn’t like the notion of flat patterns of line, so I set about changing my approach. The drawings became much more complex (more lines!). They began to resemble “weavings” or “tapestries”, folks would often say. Indeed, the lines did assume the quality of threads that had intertwined themselves visually on the paper.

By late 2017, the “fabric” analogy had become tiresome to me and I began to push the work in an opposite direction. I wanted something solid, something hard, something more monolithic. I set about to achieve this goal. These drawings were simpler. There was a minimal amount of the breakup of space and a minimal amount of color. If anything was maximized, it was the number of lines. Increased density gave the drawings the solidity and singular presence that I was seeking.

So, here we are now in 2023. An initial look reveals that same monolithic appearance, but a new element has come into play. Look further and you will see that the edges have softened and some parts disappear altogether. The individual works have become more atmospheric and ephemeral. I identify with the drawings more, as my hard edges have softened and I have become more mellow.

LINE (LIN) n./ “the path of a moving point”

“Paths of Moving Points” is the title I chose years ago when this series of drawings started because it is the textbook definition of this key element of art and these drawings rely heavily on that element. Line is the only manmade element of art. The others: shape, texture, color, and value are all elements that exist in nature. Line can be used to visually create a shape, suggest texture and simulate value. Color is arbitrary; the artist choses this rogue element.

The reoccurring comment I often hear from observers about these drawings is that they resemble “weavings” or “tapestries”. While that was not my original intention, I have grown to embrace that observation since in fact, the hundreds, if not thousands of lines do act like threads that have intertwined themselves visually on the paper just as threads of cloth do on an actual textile product.

The process is slow, deliberate and I find it to be very meditative. Every drawing consists of many layers of lines. I choose a particular type of line and cover the surface of the paper. They may be straight lines, they may be lines that squiggle, they may be dashes, and they may be lines of varying widths, but after I finish one layer with that line type, I move on to another layer. The next layer and the type line I will use depends on my reaction to the first and for the second layer and so on. As layers begin to build upon one another and textures and colors begin to develop, the decision as to what color and type of line to use next becomes more challenging and the stakes of “success” or “failure” of the image become greater.

Since late 2016, there has been one significant change to the type of image I hope to create. Rather than randomly breaking up the surface into different geometric shapes as I have done in the past, I am now seeking a more monolithic image with very little if any break up of space. What shapes may appear within the overall field of color are those that begin to emerge as the layers develop. They are arbitrary as is my decision to let them stay a part of the final image.

LINE (LIN) n./ “the path of a moving point”

“Paths of Moving Points” is the title I chose years ago when this series of drawings started because it is the textbook definition of this key element of art and these drawings rely heavily on that element. Line is the only manmade element of art. The others: shape, texture, color, and value are all elements that exist in nature. Line can be used to visually create a shape, suggest texture and simulate value. Color is arbitrary; the artist choses this rogue element.

The reoccurring comment I often hear from observers about these drawings is that they resemble “weavings” or “tapestries”. While that was not my original intention, I have grown to embrace that observation since in fact, the hundreds, if not thousands of lines do act like threads that have intertwined themselves visually on the paper just as threads of cloth do on an actual textile product.

The process is slow, deliberate and I find it to be very meditative. Every drawing consists of many layers of lines. I choose a particular type of line and cover the surface of the paper. They may be straight lines, they may be lines that squiggle, they may be dashes, and they may be lines of varying widths, but after I finish one layer with that line type, I move on to another layer. The next layer and the type line I will use depends on my reaction to the first and for the second layer and so on. As layers begin to build upon one another and textures and colors begin to develop, the decision as to what color and type of line to use next becomes more challenging and the stakes of “success” or “failure” of the image become greater.

Since late 2016, there has been one significant change to the type of image I hope to create. Rather than randomly breaking up the surface into different geometric shapes as I have done in the past, I am now seeking a more monolithic image with very little if any break up of space. What shapes may appear within the overall field of color are those that begin to emerge as the layers develop. They are arbitrary as is my decision to let them stay a part of the final image.

PATHS OF MOVING POINTS

LINE (LIN) n./ “the path of a moving point”

“Paths of Moving Points” is the title I chose years ago when this series of drawings started because it is the textbook definition of this key element of art and these drawings rely heavily on that element. Line is the only manmade element of art. The others: shape, texture, color, and value are all elements that exist in nature. Line can be used to visually create a shape, suggest texture and simulate value. Color is arbitrary; the artist choses this rogue element.

The reoccurring comment I often hear from observers about these drawings is that they resemble “weavings” or “tapestries”. While that was not my original intention, I have grown to embrace that observation since in fact, the hundreds, if not thousands of lines do act like threads that have intertwined themselves visually on the paper just as threads of cloth do on an actual textile product.

The process is slow, deliberate and I find it to be very meditative. Every drawing consists of many layers of lines. I choose a particular type of line and cover the surface of the paper. They may be straight lines, they may be lines that squiggle, they may be dashes, and they may be lines of varying widths, but after I finish one layer with that line type, I move on to another layer. The next layer and the type line I will use depends on my reaction to the first and for the second layer and so on. As layers begin to build upon one another and textures and colors begin to develop, the decision as to what color and type of line to use next becomes more challenging and the stakes of “success” or “failure” of the image become greater.

Since late 2016, there has been one significant change to the type of image I hope to create. Rather than randomly breaking up the surface into different geometric shapes as I have done in the past, I am now seeking a more monolithic image with very little if any break up of space. What shapes may appear within the overall field of color are those that begin to emerge as the layers develop. They are arbitrary as is my decision to let them stay a part of the final image.

LINE (LIN) n./ “the path of a moving point”

“Paths of Moving Points” is the title I chose six years ago when this series of drawings started because it is the textbook definition of this key element of art and these drawings rely heavily on that element. Line is the only manmade element of art. The others: shape, texture, color, and value are all elements that exist in nature. Line can be used to visually create a shape, suggest texture and simulate value. Color is arbitrary; the artist choses this rogue element.

The reoccurring comment I often hear from observers about these drawings is that they resemble “weavings” or “tapestries”. While that was not my original intention, I have grown to embrace that observation since in fact, the hundreds, if not thousands of lines do act like threads that have intertwined themselves visually on the paper just as threads of cloth do on an actual textile product.

 The process is slow, deliberate and I find it to be very meditative. Every drawing consists of many layers of lines. I choose a particular type of line and cover the surface of the paper. They may be straight lines, they may be lines that squiggle, they may be dashes, and they may be lines of varying widths, but after I finish one layer with that line type, I move on to another layer. The next layer and the type line I will use depends on my reaction to the first and for the second layer and so on. As layers begin to build upon one another and textures and colors begin to develop, the decision as to what color and type of line to use next becomes more challenging and the stakes of “success” or “failure” of the image become greater.

 Since late 2016, there has been one significant change to the type of image I hope to create. Rather than randomly breaking up the surface into different geometric shapes as I have done in the past, I am now seeking a more monolithic image with very little if any break up of space. What shapes may appear within the overall field of color are those that begin to emerge as the layers develop. They are arbitrary as is my decision to let them stay a part of the final image.