Mark Bouthilette

February 12 - 28, 2004
Reception: Friday, February 13, 2004 6 - 9 pm

"Flying Crustacean," 2003, acrylic on panel, 24 x 32 inches

Though his finished paintings have an extremely smooth surface, Mr. Bouthilette's works begin with paint as a sculptural media. He creates his own account of natural history by preserving the skeletal remnants of fictitious creatures in myriad layers of paint, then reveals portions these artificial fossils through an obsessive process of excavation. This process results in an image that seems to have been imbedded into the panel, while some of the visual textures created from his unique palette of color give the sense that sections of the image rise above the surface.

More images of his work are available here.