Syncopation, the Painting at Culver Plaza, is a monumental 241-foot long canvas that is stretched to the exterior of the Culver Plaza Building in Los Angeles. Massey’s 7,100 square foot acrylic painting reaches 35 feet in height and expands the entire curved façade of the structure. The painting is situated at the gateway of the newly renovated, historical art deco section of Culver City and directly across the Kirk Douglas Performing Arts Theatre and Sony Studios.

Massey’s abstract tarpaulin comprises 11 separate sectionals – each panel measuring up to 35 feet by 25 feet. To accommodate the sheer magnitude of the painting, the canvas had to be stretched, fastened and secured to the floor of the voluminous 55,000 square foot studio/warehouse Massey acquired to complete the project. By choosing to paint on the ground, Massey was not constrained by the limitations of lifts and scaffolding. His unconventional painting methodology incorporated the use of house mops as brushes and richly pigmented and highly saturated acrylic paints. Three coats of high gloss varnish complete the brilliant finish.

Representative of Massey’s work is his use of black outline which defines the predominantly non-geometric forms. The distinctive pattern is the result of an ensemble of shapes creating a harmonious array of unifying parts. In pushing and swirling the paint in large gestural motions, Massey emulates the painterly characteristics often found in a more intimate size canvas. By utilizing a vibrant multitude of combinations, Massey explicitly conveys his keen interest in bold and vivid colorfields.