Middlebrook’s plank paintings exist somewhere between painting and sculpture, deeply rooted in the history of his material and process. He sources imperfect sections of trees from New York and Massachusetts and waxes them to bring out their natural sheen. After taping off carefully calibrated strips, he paints over the plains in broad, expressive strokes. This work’s man-made geometries are a departure from nature – a nod to the history of abstract art. At the same time, Middlebrook references and reveres the wood grain’s own naturally abstract patterns.

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