MidCoast (2014-2017)
In many ways the “MidCoast” paintings are about Josh Ferry’s return to Maine from New Jersey and are inspired by rediscovering his new Maine surroundings. These paintings consist of heavily worked surfaces that have been sanded and scraped to arrive at simple, pared-down images.
Ferry returned to Maine in 2012, after 15 years in New Jersey, where he lived in a crowded, urban and industrial environment. While still continuing his affinity for hardedge abstraction, his rediscovery of Maine led him to make looser paintings based on its landscape and to frequently combine the two directions.
Much of his process involves false starts, failures and redirection. This process yields works that are constructed of many layers of paint. In every painting, the painting process ultimately takes over and becomes the focus of the work.
Karen MacDonald
