Part cityscape, part industrial skyline. Definitely one that’s influenced by our urban landscapes.
For me it’s the quiet flicker of street lights at dusk as I walk home past the steel works.
The youth with the spray can and the endless mass of concrete. The fountain in the square and the Georgian colonnades. The street lamps glow and the sunset intensifies. I remember so many things about coming home but the things that stay with me the most are the colours. I recall all kinds of things as a kid and more-so in my later teenage years. Amidst the sprawling urban jungle rose towers of steel and columns of steam; from the power station to the steel works the memories are as vivid today as they were all those years ago.
Nights out, then coming back on the night bus past all the usual and familiar landmarks I grew accustomed to. There was always a certain reassurance to getting closer to the place you call home. And of course it’s great to come back to a nice warm bed but sometimes the way you get there is just as significant.
Big, thick applications of paint; dramatic layers, intense colours and a myriad of intricate details give this painting a real edge. That’s a good thing too. In a world where we experience so many things it’s often the strongest memories that help define us and allow us to keep a sense of perspective. For an abstract to have such strong undertone of place, time and condition is rare thing in my studio – I seldom make such obvious references to anything in particular.
It’s still important to maintain its position as an abstract and not try to fill your mind with all the things that influenced it, but it’s also right that I let you know about the memories that fueled it.
So here is a painting that molds the urbane with the nostalgic. It’s just about perfect in terms of its lighting too; not too light or too dark. The gold is deep and purposeful; black and green are fused with steel grey and silver. Balanced enough to be at peace, vibrant enough to be alive and absolutely one of those art works you’ll want to keep staring at. Thanks to the black and grey accents it has a very mature and grounded feeling to it. I just love this.
