My current work explores the dichotomy between chaos and control in the physical process of painting. I apply paint very thickly and somewhat abstractly, mostly with a palette knife. When the surface is covered but still wet, I attack the work, throwing myself into it (using brushes or my fingers) with abandon.

In becoming willing to destroy that which I have just created, I allow for something entirely new to emerge.

The challenge then is to apply enough restraint to pull the painting back together. This dual process may occur multiple times during the creation of a piece, removing the painting even further from reality. Rather than conveying a specific narrative, my aim is to capture an energy, a feeling… a moment.
Joyce Polance

Read about our studio visit with Joyce
Sep 10, 2016