hover over the photo above then click through for a peek into the artist’s studio

We live our lives in and within structures.  From the house we call home, to the universe itself, to our very bodies, structure has a crucial role to play in every aspect of our lives.

San Francisco artist Howard Hersh is exploring the dualities of structure simultaneously in his two series, Dispositions of Structure ( encaustics on panel ) and Skin Deep ( acrylic on birch and basswood ).

His series of encaustics on panel, Dispositions of Structure are paintings about structure— physical, social, intellectual structures as well as the natural architecture of the universe.  Skin Deep, on the other hand, are structures about painting— explorations into the idea that of the existence of the painting not just as a depiction of an object but as an object itself.

The connections and fluctuations in his shapes, the way they seem to move in and out, backward and forward make me think of how dependent we are on those structures in our lives.  Societal structures such as laws and mores keep us safe and our base instincts in check while we rely on the health of our bodily structures to keep us alive.  One type of structure doesn’t do much good without the other.

To see more of Howard Hersh‘s work, please visit his website.  Howard was kind enough to invite Mr. F and I to tour his studio.  Be sure to click through the studio tour at the top of the page!

All images are via the artist’s website.