Hi Folks, I just wanted to do a very quick post about my latest painting. 'Corporatestash'..either Corporate Stash / Corporates Tash was born out of the Oil Painting course I did during the summer of 2011, at Chelsea College of Arts. I wanted to challenge myself during the course and thus decided that not only would I use a palette knife to apply the oil that I had never painted with before, but I would also chose to do a portrait with multi-coloured tones (which can drive you a little doolally). I must have scraped the oils off at least 4 times before I was even marginally pleased with the combination/composition (as you can see below). Now, the oil paints and associated tools were bought post course, in order for me to finish the piece in the weeks that followed. That deadline was not achieved and two years later it lay in the studio all sad and lonely! During a cathartic cup of tea on Friday night I threw off (not my clothes... a few of you were going all dreamy eyed there.. dirty feckers) my procrastination chains. I had no plans for the painting (which is unusual for me ... I liked it) and just sat down surrounded by my oils and brushes etc. I initially toyed with the idea of removing the moustache but as someone in my studio makes and sells moustache wax for a living, I decided to see where it took me. The more I mulled this over, the more I felt it was an essential part of the piece, namely; it provided a subtle reference to the growth of non-conformity amongst a hierarchical structure (the original image was one from my 'Growth' photography project - see earlier posts). This worked very well in conjunction with the dark and light sides of the face - which I accentuated to depict an internal conflict.
I recently saw some artwork that utilised a halo effect and decided to experiment with this myself. I ended up settling for white, as it gave an innocent almost heavenly aura to the subject and it was applied in a cross hatched effect to very very subconsciously represent a cross roads (which is utilised in rock and roll photography to show a decision point/ new journey). I then spied some mesh in the corner of the studio which I had lifted (legally officer!) from the work site below. I let the mesh idea percolate over the weekend and came in on Sunday to cut two sheets, I played with these until I was happy with their position and the message it was supposed to add to the image. Which is an idea of confinement behind hierarchical structures, spreadsheets and the digital age. I decided to leave a gap between the two sheets; so we can see the true colours behind and the subject can see out (when viewed at an angle you can see the eyes separately). To me referencing Plato's 'Allegory of The Cave' - e.g. we have been brave enough to peek out, change is a good, there are new wonders to explore and all we have to do is step out. At this point, I thought the image was complete but on observing another studio member working with some spray cans, another idea was ignited (a bit like the opening scene to Mission Impossible!- http://youtu.be/k55NuWQCh78). I used gold spray paint (to represent wealth and which compliments the yellow) to create very basic side profiles either side of the subject giving the impression of him being observed, guided, moulded, controlled. Ok, its 11pm, the studio is like a sauna and if I had been alone I would have written this in my pants. I have to leave you all as I have to head back to one (Cheshire-rian for home) to pack for the Muirfield Open Golf Championship - look out for me following the players around the course with a BBC microphone!! Laters Alligators! Edge Comments are closed.
|
AuthorThe cathartic musings of a CRE8IV mind, living at the EDGE of chaos. Categories
All
Archives
May 2017
|