Let’s swing!
Fundamentum is a square abstract painting created by using a series of pendulum swings. This pendulum technique is a relatively simple one – you take a small paint bucket and put a hole in the bottom, fill it with paint and attach it to a length of rope. Easy right?
Well, yes and no. Set up is relatively straightforward but figuring out what different kinds of rotation do can prove to be tricky, so like anything, practice is key. In this painting there are three separate rotations on top of each other. Each one is different from the next.
Buildng layers
The first application was just black on its own and was actaully applied whilst rotating the canvas in an anti clockwise direction using my electric powered spin table. What this did was to give a base of loops that radiated from the centre. This method underpins the feeling of movement outwards and is acheieved by conecntrating the initial swing to a narrow band.
The next layer was a mixture of metallic gold and black and was applied in a generous circula rmotion whilst the spin table was again rotating. This formed the circular patterns you can see moving towards the centre. Finally, the last layer is the single black colour which culminates in the dense spiral shape thats formed as the pendulum and pot slow down and concenrate their movements to a smaller and smaller area.
The finished painting
The reult of this effort is a stunning finish that not only draws you in but has an infinite number of complex pathways and intersections. It feels very mathmatical and regular in many ways yet still retains that feeling of randmoness. And, very much like the colour choices, it’s a painting symbolizing the extremes of light and dark.
The gold however, is the inspired bit. It’s the bridge between the two and, in certain lighting conditions and viewing angles, literally lights up like a Christmas tree! It is sublime and compelling and provides depth in ways you cannot capture in a photograph.
Does it fit into your life? Yes – any colour scheme, any decor, and room size. No problem. Send me some photos and I’ll render the painting into it and show you.