Paul Cote: Portal September 4, 2010

Cote's signature topographic and planetary images are at once real and surreal, brimming with color and energy. Elements and forms are imbued with meaning, a clashing of raw instinct and the cerebral that allows us to see the fire contained within. Here the paint is not merely applied to the canvas. Rather, it is heavily layered, swirled around, rising and falling and creating elevation, texture, and an overall sculpted appearance. The resulting celestial visions are both primitive and elegant, eluding definition as images range from realistic renderings to abstractions. Colors span the spectrum and levels of intensity, from muted to vibrant, and forms are at times heavy but also delicate.