Make Me Crazy, Make Me Think is the culmination of two years of work by artists, Karl Olsen and Kim Martin. The concept was to paint our individual self portraits together, side by side at the same time, on the same canvas. This relativity imparts a psychological noise and stimulation the singular artist could never achieve. The disclosure required in self-portraiture created a heightened level of exposure and vulnerability.

 We shared the objective that we both wanted to be better artists individually. In order to become better at anything, one must desire to learn, abandon old habits and take risks. We respected each others’ differing strengths and believed we had something to learn from one another. We created an environment that fostered experimentation, where hypothesizing and testing something new was of greater value than creating something comfortable.

Our definition of ‘self’ broadened over time, physical features gave way to describe psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of self. Since each painting started in a different place, discussions on both concept and materials were essential. These guidelines, while restrictive, caused us to problem solve more creatively; letting our instincts and emotions drive the imagery. The resulting work is wild, testy, and psychologically compelling. These are not necessarily pieces that are about selling art but the work speaks to two artists’ intrinsic notion of loving to create.

For a full review of the project and work, go to: www.makemecrazymakemethink.com.