Undeterred by rainy weather, we headed out to an exhibit of new paintings by Angel Otero. We were well rewarded for braving the elements, for this was indeed a dazzling display. I learned of Otero stumbling across one of his works online and was eager to see his work “live.” Otero’s painting process is unusual. He makes “’oilskins,’ which are created from paint poured onto glass and peeled off in sheets after drying. These skins are then grafted onto the artist’s canvas or sculpture. Otero combines them with other materials including resin, spray paint, and silicone.” [cite]
In the exhibit, one painting, particularly, reminded me of Jackson Pollock’s Stenographic Figure (1942), which I’d seen a few days before at MOMA. That set me off on a collage experiment using teapot cut-outs from the Pollock and grafting them on to the Otero painting Breathing Underwater 2022. Below is the result; above uses what remained of the Pollock after the teapots had been cut out, grafted onto a detail of Otero’s Concerto (2022).
For music, to accompany something new, here is something old by Marin Marais:
Prufrock's Dilemma 
I do hope you can help me out. I’m sure your title is a take-off on a more famous poem or novel, or even a musical composition — it’s the phrase ‘among the’ that’s resonating — but I can neither remember nor find the poem.
The colors of the first are appealing; any shades of blue and brown appeal to me when they’re combined. That said, both pieces are a little chaotic for my taste. I did pause over Otero’s methods. There are times when I find old varnish peeling off, and I can help it along by simply tugging. I’ve always thrown the long amber strips in the trash; perhaps I should reconsider.
Haha, well it may amuse you to know I have been scratching my head over exactly the same thing: Tiptoe Through the Tulips, maybe? Or, on a more “elevated” level, Proust’s In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower? I hope someone passing by may perchance enlighten us both! Yes, no question, particularly the second one is chaotic. What amuses me about it is that it seems no more chaotic than the two originals.
Yes, indeed, that old varnish may well be suitable for repurposing as a major new work of art. That said, while I am joking around here, I really did love every one of Otero’s paintings and actually wish I had both money and space to buy one and hang it at home. There’s a video of him talking about his work at Hauser + Wirth, by the way. If I understood him correctly, I think he actually may have come upon his method when trying not to waste old paint. That, if so, is a thoroughly lovable trait!
These are cool. I always enjoy your collages.