Transitional works hold a profound significance within an artist’s practice as they serve as pivotal moments of an artist’s exploration and discovery. In Clinton King's solo exhibition "Moonshine", each painting represents such a juncture in King’s practice, departing from familiar approaches towards new and unforeseen identities. The paintings also embody both his fresh explorations as well as remnants of his earlier endeavors, and reflects his instinctive approach to painting.
“Moonshine” is in response to one of the first paintings King completed in this series of works, and marks the inception of his solo exhibition. Titled In the sun’s shadow, the painting captures a dynamic interplay between positive and negative elements. This delicate equilibrium of his exploration, where light and dark coexist in harmonious proportion, made King reevaluate the concept of “shining” and “borrowing light”, and what it means to be seen by others in full light. “Moonshine” is thus the embracing of the shadow – embodying an ongoing quest to reconcile the opposing forces of light and dark, it also emphasizes a confidence that we can still shine even when the sun has set.
King’s works emphasize his use of material and the sensory qualities of painting through his minimalist approach. Fascinated by the amount of information a single, loaded brushstroke can convey, King’s abstract paintings layer graphical, gradient strokes of resonant colors in order to achieve intricate but powerful effects. In each canvas, every mark borrows from, responds to, and guides the next in a painterly dialogue, distilling painting to its essential elements. King’s gestural brushstrokes push abstraction to new levels of visual intensity, drawing the gaze of viewers into atmospheric spaces unique to each composition. From dense, kaleidoscopic stratification to vaporous fields of color, King’s broad spectrum of mark-making serves as a guide to unknown territories, offering simultaneously dramatic and intimate experiences.
