The Spiral of Becoming (Study I)

This painting explores becoming as a material and psychic process rather than a fixed state. The spiral emerges gradually from layered fields of green and gold, inscribed through repeated circular gestures that retain the trace of the artist’s hand. Built through slow accretion and mineralized surfaces, the work resists sharp edges or singular focal points, instead unfolding as a continuous movement inward and outward.

The spiral functions not as a symbol to be decoded, but as a record of transformation. Its motion suggests cycles of return, growth, and re-entry, where each pass revisits familiar territory without repetition. The incorporation of diatomaceous earth within the paint introduces a tactile, absorptive quality, softening light and holding the surface in a state between opacity and glow. The painting’s velvety finish recalls the meditative stillness of colour-field abstraction while remaining grounded in physical gesture and touch.

The work draws on the Hebrew concept of hithavvut—a term that describes emergence through process rather than arrival at a final form. Becoming here is not progress toward resolution, but an ongoing negotiation between memory, matter, and presence. Situated within The Gateway Series, the painting marks a threshold state: a moment where form begins to cohere without yet closing into definition.