A rekindled interest in sign painting led me to making some “fine art” paintings using the same kinds of materials; reclaimed wood panels and One-Shot Lettering Enamel. For subject matter, I dug into my trove of snapshots and slides that I’ve collected over the years. I’m drawn to images that exist on the periphery of the human condition; fleeting glimpses of a moment in which it’s not entirely clear what is happening. The man on the couch had a look of emotional flatline, which echoed with horizontal grain lines of the wood panel. I replaced the mass-produced art in the two frames with Sad Clown and Happy Clown, leaving the fellow to occupy the Neutral space in between.

“Neutral” by Steve Rein ©2013

Owned by the RockStein Collection