Daniel Lefcourt exhbition: Debris Field

For his second solo exhibition in Paris, Daniel Lefcourt presents Debris Field, a series of monochrome oil paintings on linen. The pleasure and mystery of these paintings is embedded in the strange topography of the surfaces. Brush strokes, bubbling liquids, soaking paper, the folds of fabric, broken fragments, woodgrain, and minute specks of dust are dispersed across the picture plane of each artwork. While some of the marks and textures are the result of direct material procedures, others are highly mediated – having been digitally fabricated and cast using a specially formulated gesso painting ground. The result is a series of artworks suspended between disclosure and concealment, mineral and liquid, analog and digital, directness and substitution, material fact and the specter of representation.

The following is a brief summary of the process provided by the artist:

1. Actions and Materials:
An event (or session) is staged. Various materials are dispersed across the studio floor using a variety of actions such as pouring, scattering, breaking, and sweeping.

2. Capturing and Modeling:
Digital photos are taken at various points throughout the event. The digital images are transformed into low- relief 3-d computer models.

3. Mold-making and Casting:
The 3-d models are fabricated using a computer-controlled router (The models are inverted to create a negative mold). Specially formulated acrylic gesso paint is brushed and poured into the mold in multiple layers. When the final layers have dried, the cast paint is removed from the mold.

4. Finishing & Result:
Linen is adhered to the back of the paint and then stretched on strainer bars. a graphite-based oil paint is applied in a final layer across the entire surface.