Painting

Aftermath + Mourning Text

Aftermath. I began this work in 1990 building a surface from elements and colour depicting scorched earth, land and the devastation of territory. The scale required a physical approach mirroring my interest in site-specific installation at that time so I set about stirring ash, soil, sand and debris into buckets, pouring and tipping the contents randomly. The detail of Aftermath was not resolved until 2010 when I achieved my intention of referencing the beauty of our earth and its capacity to resist the destruction resulting from war.

Mourning was conceived in my large studio in Hackney year?? Where the concrete floor could withstand the weight of plaster pushed through the cotton duck canvas and contend with the mess and activity of my aggressive moulding. A week later I went in with colour and built the hanging frame. The decision not to join the 2 lengths might be perceived as as a glimpse beyond grief.

Eva Hesse’s words spring into my mind: “Art is Life”

Aftermath and Mourning are closely connected in my need to express and share empathy without constraint whilst celebrating the value of irrationality within artistic discipline.

Both these paintings contain elements made by man, in contrast to our natural world. Sand I find particularly versatile as it shifts…

Figures

Paintings from 2024-26

Painted collage on canvas