Phases of the Moon, 2025
By Kristen Coates
40"H x 48"W
Mixed media assemblage
Signed and titled on reverse
Phases of the Strawberry Moon is the third exploration in an ongoing series examining color, repetition, and the relationship between painted and collaged forms.
Working across nine individual compositions, I became interested in how the same simple geometry could take on an entirely different personality through changes in color. Pinks, reds, soft blues, aquas, and creams move between contrast and harmony, each arrangement influencing the way the next is perceived.
This series also became an opportunity to push beyond the materials and methods I typically feel most comfortable with. Working with painted and collaged paper required a different kind of consideration: cutting, arranging, layering, and allowing the physical qualities of the materials to become part of the composition. What appears simple is actually an exercise in restraint, experimentation, and discovery.
I especially love these works presented together, where the repetition creates a rhythm and the individual color relationships begin to reveal themselves. The nine pieces feel almost like a visual conversation about the endless possibilities of color.
I imagine them in a hallway, library, or sitting room, arranged as a grid where they can be experienced as one larger work. There is something wonderfully satisfying about their order, balanced by the unexpected playfulness of each individual composition.
Included in The Treasure Auction, October 16–20. Bidding takes place exclusively via Instagram DM or text. Visit @kristencoates for current bids and auction details.
