I started exploring abstract work in the early nineties during my undergraduate studies at the Kansas City Art Institute, where I was introduced to various art movements of Western art history including the tenets of modernism. Modernist practices, which set aside artistic traditions of the past in favor of experimentation, peeked my interest at the time. Although the age of modern painting began in the 19th century I was particularly drawn to work produced in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly Color Field painting, Geometric Abstraction and the work of the New York School. My fascination with modern and contemporary art practices consumed me even through graduate studies at the University of Alberta. Importantly, my interest in Indigenous art history (particularly pre-Modern art) was another component crucial to my research of non-objective art and I soon recognized parallels and similarities between the Indigenous paradigm of geometric abstraction and the modern art aesthetic.

Geometric structures like stripes are the most recognizable of all patterns and have been used throughout the centuries. These structures infinitely repeat and are an effective vehicle for exploring compositional variations. Examples from all cultures show that these forms played a major role in the geometric styles and development of aesthetics of early history and it is precisely in their use as symbols that geometric configurations persist. Various Indigenous cultures used abstract and geometric motifs not only for visual aesthetics (as a visual language) but to create meaning – meanings that symbolically represented the physical and social world.

In essence, my work is a fusion of Indigenous motifs (stripes and geometric shapes) combined with the language of modernist practices. The construction of my painting, including scale and application of color and texture, is intended to contribute to the overall immediacy and presence of the work. In terms of metaphor, the hard edge structure serves as a sign for technology and its impact on global cultures and society. Indigenous peoples around the world have been affected by the introduction of these technologies for many generations; some have changed identities and worldviews, while others have used it to hold on to various aspects of their cultural existence.
1020 Prospect | Suite 130 | La Jolla, CA 92037
P: 858.459.0836 | F: 858.459.0790
[email protected] | www.madisongalleries.com

Jeff Kahm. Synthesis, 2013. (left) Continuum, 2010. (right)
Both works acrylic on canvas. 96 x 96 inches.

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