"Studying this work recently in Randy Shull's studio at Asheville's Pink Dog Creative, as the artist formed it into varying configurations, explaining how "this could be a table, here, or, it could be part of a tall chair, like this, or perhaps a leaning sculptural element, like this," I thought about the rapid evolution of his artistic vision since 2008, the year his career was documented in a major retrospective exhibition, Randy Shull: Crossing Boundaries. As he continued to compose, then stand back, looking at his reconfigured work, I suggested that its distinctive design might be viewed as this artist's reflection on the iconic Swiss army knife, a classic design object intended to be used, and configured, as the owner needs, or desires. He smiled, kept moving it, then paused to explain the process he used to apply the work's many layers of pigment, painting and sanding it, building his surface and distinctive texture, until he decided, finally, that it was finished. 

Juxtaposition in Black and White, painted wood

  

"The restrained colors used in Juxtaposition in Black & White, its assured form, its skilled craftsmanship, and the creative imagination embodied in it combine to remind me of the artist's statement in the catalogue for Crossing Boundaries, an exhibition I was honored to host in New Orleans, during my tenure as Director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. "In my life, in my work, and in my travels," he said, "I like the excitement of crossing boundaries...Sometimes it is painting, sometimes it is furniture design, sometimes it is architecture, sometimes it is garden design, sometimes it is travel."

"Juxtaposition in Black & White incorporates the new directions he discovers in contemporary painting, sculpture and furniture making, and embodies his accomplished sense of architectural and interior design (as evident at Pink Dog Creative). Accordingly, it is a milestone piece, one that builds upon the foundations of his earlier, well-known works, yet reflects Randy Shull's ongoing exploration of creative and technical possibilities, as well as his restless desire to continue "crossing boundaries.""