Statement

Regarding my current body of work:

Through abstract painting, I investigate the circle as a fundamental geometric shape and visual phenomenon. 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. Throughout history 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 brushwork has been compared to aspects of Gothic stained glass and 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 mark an in-depth exploration into the evolution of modern and contemporary abstract painting that originated in abstract expressionism and continued through post-painterly abstraction and color field. References to the abstract patterns and repetitive mark making of Jackson Pollock, the open etherial spaces of Mark Rothko, the structure of  Frank Stella and the color fields of  Ellsworth Kelley and Jules Olitski 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 challenge the use of the traditional square/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 a can be viewed as a cross-pollination of painting and sculpture.