Recent paintings and drawings by artist Luke Osborn. Originally from Sausalito, California, Osborn is currently based in Rhode Island where he is completing his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. These works are part of a material experimentation into collage, mixing paper pulp and gesso, which is then layered and sanded to achieve a specific texture and absorbency. Cut paper and watercolour are similarly layered in or sanded away until the image forms organically.

“I’ll sometimes look at early Renaissance painters for compositions, but I hope the image appears on its own. I’ve heard the metaphor of ‘excavation’ being tossed around a lot recently, but truthfully it’s a good description of the process. I’ve also noticed a musical theme running through many of the recent works–both literally, with images of trumpets, musical notes, and theater scenes, and formally, with rhythmic elements that guide the viewer’s eye through the painting.”