Bill Moran

Bio / Artists statement

While my paintings obviously are "about" people, to me the specific figures on the canvas are secondary to the visual impact I am seeking through line, tone and color. I like to think in musical terms as I design a work: rhythm, tempo, counterpoint. In fact, as I paint, I often play and replay music appropriate to the "beat" I am reaching for: jazz, concert, band or ethnic pieces. Sometimes the figures swirl, sometimes they seem almost still. But they always should "pulse" through variations in scale, color and value. Above all, in the end there must be one "total gesture" integrating the entire canvas. ( Without that I would have a bunch of disconnected "notes" but no "song". ) The total gesture provides vitality, conveying mood and emotion to the viewer.

My people, in the words of an old song, are "on this merry misadventure we call life". They are busy playing the games people play: they dine, sport, dance and sing. Being only human, they betray undercurrents, circling each other, establishing a pecking order of their own; and when "the humor is off them" they clash with each other and glower out at us. That's life and art is its mirror.

Since my work comments on the society around us, my general outlook on life inevitably creeps in. Some artists have an edge to their work that is tough and biting. When I try to make some earth-shattering, monumental point, however, the result can be melodramatic and "preachy". So I prefer satire. Because I am more bemused than outraged, I tweak rather than rant, making serious points in a not-so-serious fashion. This style ( coupled with my aversion to "art babble" ) may cause my work to appear as mere diversion. But it draws blood nonetheless! - Bill Moran

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