2020 MASTER OF FINE ARTS EXHIBITION
March 8 – April 9, 2020
The Art Gallery, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Ethos of Surface is a series of large-scale paintings that reference the effects of time and space on urban surfaces in the interest of material phenomenology. Through the process of re-framing, re-sampling, and visually cropping, I explore post-vandalism, graffiti art and visual histories embedded in the ethos of surface. The multi-layered surfaces of my paintings reference the tension between the construction and deconstruction of forgotten places in the American landscape that are left behind and transformed by time and by the damage of being exposed and weather-beaten. My inspiration lies in the notion of creating a simulacrum with a dichotomy of aesthetics like that of a surface with a worn history. Through a simulation of process, I aim to present my paintings as an abstract composition in a combined whole, along with a look deeper into the parts that make the whole.
Bio
Carson Pellanda (b. 1986) is a native of Northern California who is currently pursuing his MFA degree at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. While painting on canvas is his primary focus, he also maintains an active photography practice that influences his process of framing his multi-media compositions. Pellanda’s abstract approach to his work is a re-framing process that is inspired by the dichotomy he sees on often-overlooked surfaces of derelict buildings, alleyways, rooftops, train cars, and abandoned places.