As Steven Cabral begins a new journey to receive his MFA from Lesley University to integrate his artistic practice into his working life as a professor of art, he says he has noticed a shift in his creative process. Before he started the program, he would have begun making a piece by intuitively painting the first layer, which according to him, “…can either be good or bad.” Now however, he takes time to carefully consider how his geometric paintings will be laid out by drawing preliminary sketches.
Cabral’s works included in the Kingston Associates group show, Pushing Forward, is part of a series he began during his residency at Vermont Studio Center in August, 2018. During his time there he became obsessed with a piece by Agnes Martin which encompassed two triangles – Untitled #1, 2003. He remembers thinking that her use of negative space was powerful and his series that followed was a reinterpretation of that image.
This isn’t the first time shapes have been the subject of Cabral’s work though. He mentions he has always been attracted to geometric shapes as an “innocent element,” – the purest form of form itself. It’s a way for him to activate space, and play with composition and applying his often transparent layers of paint.
In response to asking what it’s like to be a part of the Kingston Associates his immediate response was, “We have a great group of artists.” Cabral has been an Associate at Kingston Gallery for a year and says he has found a supportive group of artists and friends. They always have a good time at monthly meetings, making time for seriousness and also for fun!
Kingston Associates: Pushing Forward is on view at the Kingston Gallery through January 27, 2019.
