Statement

Regarding my current body of work:

My current paintings investigate the circle as a fundamental geometric shape and enduring visual phenomenon. Throughout history, the circle has played a crucial role in astronomy, mathematics, and physics, and symbolizes such concepts as the cyclical nature of existence, balance, unity, infinity, divinity, and perfection. The circle has fascinated humans from primitive stargazers to accomplished scientists of our time. 

My process begins on a circular shaped-canvas structure. A series of concentric circles surround the outlying areas of the canvas. These polychromed rings consist of thousands of rapidly applied brushstrokes tightly compressed within hard-edge boundaries. The visual effect of my colors and brushwork has been compared to the luminosity of Gothic stained glass and the structure of Byzantine mosaics. Within the center of these circles lie wide-open spaces, alluring portals of color fields that appear to float behind the exterior rings of the canvas perimeters. The overall visual experience enables the viewer to transcend the tactile quality of the painted object and experience a meditative sensation bathed in light, color and illusionary space.

From a historical perspective, these paintings present an in-depth exploration into the evolution of modern and contemporary abstract painting originating in abstract expressionism and continuing through post-painterly abstraction and color field. References to the abstract patterns and repetitive mark making of Jackson Pollock, the open ethereal spaces of Mark Rothko, the color and structure of Frank Stella and the ambient color fields of Ellsworth Kelley and Jules Olitzki place Reilly's paintings clearly in the continuum of American art history. 

General Statement

Having worked as a painter for over four decades, my goal has consistently been to produce work that challenges notions about the nature of painting and its processes. A significant aspect of my work has been to break away from the traditional square and rectilinear canvas structure, which continues to be the dominant format for painting being produced today. My shaped pieces are an alternative to that tradition and can also be viewed as a cross-pollination of painting and sculpture.