Ready To Wear II

Image © Downs About the ArtistDowns is definitely a throwback in his overall view of painting. Now in his late 50's, he was very fortunate to have had mentors such as Karl Benjamin and Frederick Hammersley in the mid 80's. Being in the presence of such noted painters impressed on him the importance and responsibility of being true to one's own vision. "By speaking clearly in a non object idiom, the goal is to make art that reflects modern day life. My process consists of layering spontaneous random marks that are sometimes completely obscured. By working and reworking surfaces, I expose the varying depth of color which creates spaces that expand and contract, communicating the work's shifting moods." In his latest body, the "Manhattan Series", Downs recalls when he first moved to New York in the mid 70's.  Emotions of the average person were on a much more intense level as far as fear, crime and the overall lack of beauty in the city. For Downs, this was an opportunity to experience