Paul Morstad: Make Haste, But Slowly...

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Paul Morstad, “Azores Aquatic Club,” 2020

watercolour on paper, 36.5" x 54" (framed).

Paul Morstad: Artist Statement

In my drawings and paintings I try to create a nostalgic, quietly humorous world populated by extinct or endangered flora and fauna, hobos and historical figures, as well as industrial and domestic detritus, all entwined with archetypal and mythical references. I often paint on vintage nautical, and topographical maps to signify an ordered human matrix, superimposed upon a chaotic, natural world. Maps––artifacts of human undertaking–– unveil the equivocation at the heart of our trials to cohabitate with the non-human world. By obfuscating the map with my own marks, I attempt to create a visual reciprocity, creating tension between the zoological images emerging from the map, and the map itself. In my watercolours I utilize a more additive process, employing the white of the paper as an atmospheric foil to the minimalist compositions, allowing the muted and understated details to contrast. My thematic explorations touch on migration, encroachment, ecological decay, extirpation, and extinction. A painting of mine will draw from many narrative sources braided together with references to popular culture and history to hint at their meanings. The media I use range from oil on panel, watercolour, pen and ink, and intaglio printmaking processes. I also make short, animated films with similar themes.