In trying to achieve even more of a depth, I started painting purple and blue stains which were masked by taped squares which were over layed by the black and white paint, when the taped mask was removed the blue under became in tension with the black and white surface seeming to come forward to meet it.
There was a inhibition towards picturing of an image that too closely represented oneself and as a result we took or appropriated figures of others as stand ins part of the surrogate process and simulacrum in the much discussed critical theory of the time.
I listened to Philip Glass a lot in my studio and the Nocturne painting with the zip was related to a Mapplethorpe photo of him after an idea of the Minimalism of Barnet Newman and a Romantic feeling in the early music called "Etoile Polare".
Philip grafted his Minimal style to the Operatic which I thought possible for myself.
I saw Goya's figures as speaking to me and as his process of dropping ink into wet paint made accidental figures like I saw in my own paintings beyond my control. Goya gave my own gesture more authority and originality and the sincerity and authenticity all were words which were discussed and these paintings in reation to them.
The most important relation though still is formal in how the exposed blue square makes a tension with the black and white surface as it seems to come forward to meet it. There was also a speculation which went back and forth between ambivalent extremes whether the square was blocking or exposing.
