Space and other cosmic wonders
Though it’s not a common theme that runs through my work it’s fair to say I have an overwhelming fascination for the universe and how it works. From black holes to pulsars and from galaxies to nebulae. The scale and depth of data, images and understanding we have is vast and yet is only a tiny fraction of what we may ever know.
The desire to make use of the things I can see, whether it be in books or on a screen, is consuming. So every now and again I allow myself to break off from the normality of my work (if that’s ever a word I could use to describe what I do) and go paint for the sheer joy of it.
The plan and the execution
You still need a game plan though – I’m not capable of slinging paint cans around and hoping for the best; I tried that for a while – it got ugly. I had planned a star burst-type thing for some while but hadn’t had a clear enough schedule to get stuck in. I am drawn to the shapes of things moving outwards. So I’m not sure if this should really be about anything other than the concept of matter flying outwards? I’ll let you decide that.
So there’s no denying that this is inspired by the cosmos. And, as would befit such an eye-watering notion of scale, I’ve tried to pack as much detail into it as I can. If you think about gas clouds you’ll find them in here. If you consider how matter forms into planets then you’ll find that in here too. The black is three layers thick so it looks dense and eternal whilst the white is stark and bright, like and exploding star. Woven around and in between the two are very subtle tones of blue and purple. These colours are what really lift the painting out.
Every last bit of this has been thought out properly. From the mixing of the paints to the way they’re applied. The technical procedures for getting this right are surprisingly complex; I have my best friend Adrian to thank for being able to mix almost any colour and finish I need (well, mostly anyway! The chemistry part of it is still a huge learning curve)
What I think about this painting
I fucking love it. Seriously. Think about that for a moment. I love space, I love art, I love painting. Add them all up. See my point?
It won’t be for everyone and that’s just fine. But then art shouldn’t be like that should it? It needs to embrace you and repel you; shock you and comfort you but most of all it should connect with you. And when you find something that does, and you simply don’t know why, that’s when you’ve found a piece that means something to you.
And that’s what this painting does for me. It means something. Nothing heavy or complicated – just something I really love to look at. Sometimes it’s nice just to enjoy life without all the bullshit getting in the way.
You’re welcome.
Oh my God, you made a universe!
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