TUTU GALLERY

1349 Main Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

RICK MALLETTE and KELLY JO ASBURY
"Appetites"
September 29 - October 15, 2006

ARTIST STATEMENT

These silhouette drawings are the result of a decade-long search for new approaches to drawing. “Drawn" with flat black house paint onto white square panels, the drawings appear deliberate, but are found by improvisation. Beginning with smaller forms and lines, the shapes combine and lines thicken until an optical echo is achieved, a balance between black and white. On the simplest level they are visual illusions where a black foreground and white background optically flip-flop, the space becomes form and the form space. They refer to cut-paper crafts especially silhouette portraits. The high contrast graphic technique gives the drawings an overall air of classiness, but upon closer inspection is betrayed by the cartoonish subject matter. This latest work comes on the heels of 1000's of sketchbook drawings, a couple dozen temporary spontaneous ink wall drawings, a series of cut-mylar "drawings", a couple invisible wall drawings, several photo wallpaper drawings and a few silhouette wall drawings.

INVENTORY
1. The Couple (2005) Ink on Wood 48 x 84 inches
2. Portrait #12 (2006) Latex on Wood 48 x 48 inches
3. Portrait #10 (2006) Latex on Wood 48 x 48 inches
4. Portrait #11 (2005) Latex on Wood 48 x 48 inches
5. Portrait #13 (2006) Latex on Wood 36 x 36 inches
6. Pink Portrait (2005) Latex on Wood. 48 x 48 inches

1349 Main Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

RICK MALLETTE and KELLY JO ASBURY
"Appetites"
September 29 - October 15, 2006

ARTIST STATEMENT

These silhouette drawings are the result of a decade-long search for new approaches to drawing. “Drawn" with flat black house paint onto white square panels, the drawings appear deliberate, but are found by improvisation. Beginning with smaller forms and lines, the shapes combine and lines thicken until an optical echo is achieved, a balance between black and white. On the simplest level they are visual illusions where a black foreground and white background optically flip-flop, the space becomes form and the form space. They refer to cut-paper crafts especially silhouette portraits. The high contrast graphic technique gives the drawings an overall air of classiness, but upon closer inspection is betrayed by the cartoonish subject matter. This latest work comes on the heels of 1000's of sketchbook drawings, a couple dozen temporary spontaneous ink wall drawings, a series of cut-mylar "drawings", a couple invisible wall drawings, several photo wallpaper drawings and a few silhouette wall drawings.