Save Series

Save

Acrylic paint on stretched canvas 2009

Stephen Surlin

This series of paintings work together to create a singular gesture. My process involved an examination at various aspects of contemporary society, especially the recent shifts in the local and global economy. The word “Save” already possess an array of meanings, taking action in reducing the amount of money spent, the idea of rescuing a person, place or thing, reserving something for later in order for someone to enjoy it, etc. This word appears to be charged with meaning in contemporary society.

My painting technique used an aesthetic of the reproduced and saturated ethos of the type of consumer found in many of the 1960′s “Pop” artists, enabling a connection to consumption and the economy. Though my method, from afar, appears to have created a uniform and “clean” production and reproduction of the text; upon closer examination, a viewer will notice the numerous “imperfections”, the raising paint, ripped away edges or evidence of the paint “bleeding” into the stencil. This is because, instead of using a more precise silk screen method, I used a cutout tape stencil, a process that will most likely produce less than “perfect” results.

The design method and fonts are influenced by my immediate surroundings. I took photo documentation of the word where it appeared in situations that in one instance represent common uses of the term in public, though in another sense, embody the very forces involved in my work: a car wash, dollar store and payday loans store. These photos can be seen below.

The examples I used from my community for inspiration.