MS: So Donald, where was your last show?
DM: I am showing currently in LA at the George Lawson Gallery. Prior to that I showed at the Marlboro Gallery at Prince George Community College near Washington DC.
MS: What are these made of?
DM: They are a polymer mix and dispersed pigment.
MS: How did you arrive at this point? What was the "eureka" moment"?
DM: I was struggling with my work. I made a lot of de Kooning look-a-likes but got frustrated with the structure. I would make grand gestures and then went back and tried to fix the edges and corners. One day I just got rid of the ground (canvass). It took a while to figure out what I had done. It freed the gesture to be what ever it wanted to be. I think Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella were in the back of my mind.
MS: Who else art historically were big influences?
DM: I look at painting and sculpture a lot. I used to travel quite a bit and whenever I did I always made time to visit museums and galleries. I am a big fan of Velazquez. I also looked a lot at the oil sketches by Rubens at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Obviously I also admire de Kooning, Lynda Benglis Ellsworth Kelly and Frank Stella, among others.
MS: So are these representations of actual markings in paint?
DM: No, absolutely not. They are my own honest gestures. I am not representing the gestures of other artists.
MS: Let me rephrase. Do you build these after smaller scale models?
DM: I usually begin by making many small studies on paper. Then I make small works based on the sketches. These are finished works but they also work as maquettes or prototypes for larger works. When I work large I have a basic idea of color, feeling and shape but they never end up finally exactly as I had planned.
MS: Pretend you are talking to someone who has no idea about how to understand abstraction. In a few sentences, how would you guide them into understanding your work?
DM: I simply want to create my own images rather than use existing images that may have baggage. I want the images to speak for themselves rather than paint an actor. I know I can paint a figure or landscape that feels a certain way. But why not be more direct. Rather than use the landscape, let the painting itself evoke the feeling or experience.