artist statement This series of paintings on metal focuses on the innate beauty created as manmade objects break down and naturally age. Each work is based on my photography of old signs, rusting train cars and crumbling architecture that forms the fabric of our urban existence. Many of the patterns and the imagery in the paintings are taken directly from these documented surfaces. They are recreated in my work to loosely reference the function of the original object. To emphasize this, I often employ industrial stencils. The entire process is a controlled attempt at reproducing and suspending the natural breakdown of things, or entropy. My current work consists of “quilted” metal panels, which play on color balance, textures, lines and geometric juxtapositions. The material used is salvaged as well as new metal that I manipulate in my studio. The natural process of rusting and pitting are sped up yet controlled to create the desired composition using water, heat and pigment. Jeff Fontaine currently lives and works in Portland Oregon.