My paintings and drawings develop through a process of discovery. I do not begin with a fixed image or a clear answer. Instead, the work grows through layers of marks, revisions, and decisions that reveal new possibilities along the way. I am interested in the space between abstraction and representation—where an image can appear, disappear, and transform. A shape may suggest a figure, a symbol, or something recognizable, but it can also become simply a mark or a piece of the surface. The work lives in that uncertainty.
Figure and ground are never fixed in my work. They compete, overlap, and exchange roles as the painting develops. What first appears to be background can become an important form, while recognizable images can dissolve back into the surrounding space. I am interested in this constant push and pull because it keeps the painting active. The surface is not just a place where an image sits; it is part of the image itself.
The history of making remains visible. Scraped areas, erased marks, revisions, and changes are not mistakes to hide but important parts of the process. I want the viewer to sense the decisions, struggles, and discoveries that happened during the making of the work. Each painting is a record of choices, accidents, and adjustments—a conversation between control and instinct.
Humor and play are essential to my practice. I enjoy unexpected combinations, exaggeration, awkward moments, and visual surprises. These elements allow the work to move between seriousness and absurdity. There is a tension between structure and improvisation, like a kind of free jazz meeting professional wrestling.
Ultimately, I see painting as a way of thinking through action. Each mark creates a new question and changes what comes next. I am less interested in creating a final answer than in creating a space where different possibilities can exist at the same time. The finished work is a temporary balance between order and chaos, intention and chance, image and abstraction.
Chris Gardiner
Toronto, CANADA
2026