go to Palden Weinreb's portfolio

Born and Living  New York City

While trying to find my voice as an artist, I was frustrated, both by my struggle to identify

that voice, and because my efforts in finding it did not gain direction.  I decided to stop

forcing myself toward a false creativity, and to let go of my preconceived notions of what

creation is.

I was dealing with Buddhist themes at the time-absolving oneself of samsara; losing a sense

of desire in a culture dependant upon it; attaining nothingness.  As I lost faith in my

understanding of creation, one day I began a series of work out of sheer desperation. 

I began to recite a mantra.  Recording my meditation in a continuous motion, I moved my

pencil in accordance with the syllables I recited.  Reaching a meditative state, I was able to

clear my mind of everything.  What I was left with was a path drawn to that state,

essentially a path to nothingness.  The documentation of such an intangible process

intrigued me.

After creating a series of over 100 drawings, I came to a conclusion: I had discovered a

new sensibility in approach and aesthetics. I possessed a new appreciation for the illusion

and deception held within a mark, creating

ambiguous passages and environments. I began to understand the importance of a

balance between "push" and "pull," in the sense of structure and deconstruction. There

was beauty and depth in the relation between systematic and unconscious patterns.

All these ideals have lent themselves to my work even to this day. It was from that

now-formative series drawing that all my work stems from.

To learn more about Weinreb's work visit www.paldenweinreb.com