Saphan showcased Mark DeBonis at Urban Art Passage Gallery, September 2012
A mathematician by trade, but studied fine arts as an undergraduate. Continued painting on his own time out of necessity. His hope is to express indescribable internal feelings without being consciously aware of what is expressed - to tap into this unknown side and let it dictate what appears on the paper to the point where he, himself, is surprised by the result. His technique uses paper with any water based paint on which he can apply ink. It is a back-and-forth method of color on ink on color on ink, etc. until satisfied with the result. To paint from the inside reaching deep down into the subconscious and with as little planning as possible.
There are many layers of paint and ink one on top of the other which creates rich textures and patterns. Objects change as the picture progresses – things are edited out or introduced until the moment when intuition says it is correct. A personal set of rules is created for laying down color and ink which purposefully avoids conventional norms.