Artist Statement - Phil Delisle

I am a conceptual painter specializing in works which explore the process of making art. My interest is investigating the role of the artist and the purpose of the activities in which we engage.

Over the past few years, my works have included paintings whose subject matter is the process of painting itself. These works are vignettes or windows into the artist’s experience. They examine seemingly unimportant moments such as the washing of a brush or the masking of a slide and recontextualize them as the focal point. In this way, the process becomes the subject, as does the act of documenting those processes. My intention is to carefully observe my own artistic activities, to reflect on them and to gain insights through making paintings about them.

The works in my current suite are paintings of art gallery scenes with my paintings on the walls. These paintings reference their own status as painted objects. The works are shown both in the process of creation and as exhibited works. I have also begun to build up many layers of paintings within paintings. I do all of this with the intention of investigating the boundaries and definitions of process, subject and creator.

Oil Paintings

My oil paintings are generally non-objective works in which I take particular interest in the compositional and structural elements as well as the effects of layering on the surface. I create these works through a multiple stage process, usually working on several works concurrently. I try to arrive at a rich surface through erasing and repainting, obliteration, reworking and constant re-evaluation. I enjoy the process of discovery in these works and I try to take cues from the work itself as to what direction to take.