Stratacaster

<p>Derek Eller Gallery is pleased to present Stratacaster, a solo show of recent sculptural paintings by Ara Peterson. Continuing his exploration of "strata graphics"— phenomena of sculptural remnants revealed by means of cutting into a prepared three-dimensional material— the wall-based works in this exhibition walk the line between visual balance and spontaneity. Generating a topography through kinetic processes, Peterson mines a composition which is defined by both deliberate choices and chance occasions. For over two decades, Peterson has used film, video, clay, paint, and wood to investigate ideas about stratification in space and time. In this new body of work, he creates unique hand-built plywood that combines layers of wood veneer, plastic sheet, and in some cases "graffiti wall" salvaged from a local tunnel. Using a CNC router, the work is revised during all stages of the production to achieve a complex, textural, and rhythmic field of movement in relief with its own living qualities. The router's tooling generates unexpected interactions with the materials; fine and course ridges appear on the surface of the wood, giving the look of expanding and contracting corduroy fabric. Introducing the mined graffiti wall into the sequence allows for further visual variety.</p>