Rodney Dickson Discusses Painting's Spiritual Core and Violent Impulse in Bushwick Exhibition Interview

Rodney Dickson's untitled exhibition at David & Schweitzer Contemporary in Bushwick runs until March 28, 2018, featuring abstract works with paint layers up to three inches thick. In a conversation with Jeffrey Morabito, Dickson explores painting's transcendent qualities, referencing Philip Guston's studio ghost metaphor and Frank Auerbach's magical approach. He describes his process of mixing paint directly on the canvas without a palette, aiming for results where "two and two has to be ten." Dickson acknowledges perceived violence in his work, possibly rooted in his Northern Ireland upbringing, while emphasizing a ruthless creative freedom. He contrasts his artistic experience in New York with earlier years in Liverpool, where he concealed his profession. The artist discusses destroying paintings that receive premature praise and his evolving practice of working more quickly. Dickson recalls curator John Davis preferring to engage directly with the artwork rather than conversation. The interview touches on Jackson Pollock's dismissal of technical preoccupations, arguing that only the final painting's effect matters.