Visual Syntax Output: Mixed Media | Chess Series - An Original Concept and Design by Want & Knight of VSO

This series began when we got into the game of chess and decided to build our own portable wooden board. Designing and constructing the board proved to be a fun and learning experience! From there, our momentum and passion moved us to create accompanying paintings along with a photo series and display them all in a captivating arrangement on a gallery wall. After the great response we received at our first showing, we have decided to take the series on the road to be included in upcoming shows! Whether you're a chess enthusiast or you just appreciate well-presented layers of sincere creative output, we invite you to enjoy and share this original art series.





This series began when we got into the game of chess and decided to build our own portable wooden board. Designing and constructing the board proved to be a fun and learning experience! From there, our momentum and passion moved us to create accompanying paintings along with a photo series and display them all in a captivating arrangement on a gallery wall. After the great response we received at our first showing, we have decided to take the series on the road to be included in upcoming shows! Whether you're a chess enthusiast or you just appreciate well-presented layers of sincere creative output, we invite you to enjoy and share this original art series.




	Once we completed the construction of all the pieces in this series, we put our minds to finding the best, most attractive way of hanging it on a gallery wall. In the end we were very happy to find a balance using the two acrylic paintings as outer columns and mounting two simple wooden mini shelves to hold the photograph cards. Above the this, we hung the chess board by clear wire so that it opens out to the viewer and floats in front of the gallery wall creating elegant shadows and a nice 3D effect.





		The final version of this chess board was the result of a fun and shifting journey. It started with the simple idea to create a portable wooden board we could take to the park and play on. And when it was completed, it had become a precious piece of art representing long hours and weeks of emperical creative expression and meticulous problem solving. Using design theory concepts of composition, figure-ground, and painting principles like unity and flowing dialogue of marks and textures, we strove for a balance of simplicity and allure, tradition and modern customization, form and function.








As we worked on the VSO Chess Board, Knight began shooting process pictures. This became one of the best and most enjoyable parts of the whole project. When Knight gets passionate and focused on something like this project, he really gets creative with his photography. He seeks out angles, lighting and moments that really capture the heart and soul of the work being done. When a project is complete, looking back through Knight's photos is a great treat! Through this photography it is possible to truly take in just how much dedication and effort went into the construction of the chess board. As ideas continued to flow, the project became more and more exciting and a chance to experiment with materials and techniques we'd never tried before. This photo series provides a peek into that journey.




















	For the final addition to this series, we decided to do a pair of tall acrylic paintings, but to keep them unified with the rest of the work being presented. We constructed sturdy boxes from two found heavy boards with great wood grain and treated them with the same stain and lacquer as we used on the chess board, along with the same type of corner brackets so there would be a unity of textures and materials. And while the subject matter was the same, we introduced gestural and expressive paintbrush strokes into the series inspired by the completed board and photo series.