Helene Kleiner

Artist Statement

An Abstract Expressionist at heart, I enter my studio with the purest intentions of immersing myself in the physical act of creation, in just painting. For me, the physical and emotional act of making art is as important as the final product. The act of breaking up the blank surface and creating space, color relationships, line, gesture, texture, harmony or disharmony to create a work of art has been a need throughout my life. The knowledge that the final creation can bring joy or enlightenment to those who finally view it is a bonus.
I begin to juxtapose color and space and brush strokes and texture: all the elements of creative expression. And then the technical disciplines give way to emotional responses. Soon, I am lost portraying what is in my soul; I am unable to block out the world. Art to me is immersion in the process of creating. An idea or a gesture sets me off and I follow the tide into my creative journey. My work is largely architectural in composition and attitude. Within this framework I am concerned with texture, both tactile and virtual, and a physical and intellectual response to color and spacial composition.
On any given day I may be working with a sculptural concept, a quiet design statement, or a totally free painting. Sometimes I start with a gesture, sometimes an organized breakup of the substrate plane. Space and texture and the process of applying them help me through my emotional journey.
Often the final creation is a complete surprise!