Thomas Coffey - Artist's Statement

My work is currently in a state of transition, turning away from my past body of traditional, Caravaggesque portraits. I am attempting to do this in two ways: first, by enriching the content and concepts of my work to create pieces that are more accessible and meaningful to both myself and the viewer, and second, by employing new methods of mark-making and treatment of the surface. I am very interested in juxtaposing two contrasting ideas against each other and exploring dualities in both concept and form.

One of the largest flaws in my work thus far has been its inability to be read – it stands walled-off from the viewer, nearly incapable of meaningful engagement. I believe this was the result of my own subconscious tendency to shield myself from vulnerability; if the work existed in isolation, separate from both myself and the viewer, I was protected from scrutiny. To combat this, I am now creating work that is deeply personal to me, largely concerning my struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. My goal is for this work to not only be autobiographical, but also to to encourage the sort of honest discussion about these difficult issues that our society currently lacks.

While I am using a variety of means to portray these ideas in paint, the primary method I am experimenting with is to paint myself or a scene from my life, and then either obscure or obliterate my own image. This can be done by sanding and scrubbing it away, pushing and mixing the paint on the surface until the image is no longer recognizable, or a number of other ways. This act of carefully rendering a figure and then destroying it also speaks to my rejection of my former way of working.

My hope is that through continuing to explore these ideas and push further into unfamiliar, uncomfortable spaces, I will create a new body of work that is stronger, more dynamic, and capable of meaningful engagement.