Artist Statement
My approach has its own presence as a vocabulary independent of figurative imagery, an expression of creative energy. For me, mark-making, rejecting, over-painting, scraping, scratching and burnishing the painted surface generates visual issues. The composition emerges organically, initial random marks gel into clusters of rendered dilemmas. The marks become entanglements... a melee of forms, often whimsical, occasionally raw and visceral. Moments of action and stagnation - you have to have both. I seek the nonverbal collective unconscious, which in turn, may provide the observer an encounter with angst and an opportunity to ponder.
Through dissonance I aspire, struggle, reconcile and proceed forward. Create then reject. Rebuild, reject then create again. The result visually is a cross between fresco and encaustic techniques. I have endless possibilities to explore, and limitless compositions to expose. - Sam Roussi
"The Object Was Simple" 2023
40" x 32"
Acrylic and Dry Pigment on Acid-free, 100% Rag Musuem Board
Chart of Hobo Icons
"Erasmus Hazel Gluckman" NFS
A spark of Inspiration...
My move to pure abstraction occurred when I came across a chart depicting hobo codes. This system of marks was widely used by vagabonds during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Used as a means for survival, a few strokes spoke volumes. These markings on fences, posts, sidewalks, buildings, trestles, and bridge abutments communicated where to find help, or steer clear of trouble. The meaning of each icon fascinated me. For example: “Kind woman, tell pitiful story,” “Vicious dog here,” “You can sleep in hayloft,” and “Jailhouse has cooties.” Their brevity resembles the titles of my paintings: “Back Door Crusher,” “They Never Come Alone,” “Tip Toe Drop Gag” to name a few.