UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #86

“The Fractured Earth #3”

The Rockscape Series

 (Watercolour with collage on watercolour paper) 

Size:  83x98cm (framed)

THE IDEAS  and TECHNIQUES USED IN THIS PAINTING:

This is a photo of our beautiful coastline on the Sunshine Coast, Australia.  It looks so beautiful that it is hard to imagine that there is something very wrong with it.  WRONG - Yes!  Scientific studies confirm that the Pacific Ocean is in peril due to pollution and over fishing.  “Populations of marine animals – fish, mammals, reptiles and birds – have declined by an average of 89 percent from their historical highs.”  (from “Frankenstein’s Cat” p.105 by Emily Anthes ).  Also “global warming is raising water temperatures and levels, and changing its acidity and salinity.  Experts are also predicting long-term changes in precipitation, storm frequency and ocean currents and circulation.  These shifts are already having profound effects on marine life. “(p.115).  These concerns are addressed in my Rockscape Series where I have painted ten watercolour paintings. 

This painting #3 addresses pollution.  I picked this drink can off the beach at Pt. Cartwright.  I photocopied the object directly and used the photocopy as the collage.

The subject of the watercolour is taken from my photograph of the rockscape on Pt. Cartwright, seen below.

I have discussed the concept behind this Rockscape Series in Posts Nos. 9, 67, 69, 72, 78 and 81, so dear reader, go to these past posts if you are interested in more about this series.  Each painting addresses a different concern.

The composition of this watercolour is simple and flat.  This is consistent with my style even though I have portrayed the photo realistically.  It is balanced with the viewer’s eye being drawn to where the coke can (the pollution) is, which is the focal point. 

Watercolour paint gives a very soft effect and the colours are clear and unambiguous.  An artist cannot “fudge” a watercolour painting because of its transparent quality.  The style is contemporary.  The form is two dimensional and the concept is abstract.

The title gives the meaning of the art work and this title is used for the whole series.  Each painting in the series is numbered. 

I am a colourist.  I go to great care to create colours in my painting that are unique and I spend endless time planning and mixing these colours.  Watercolour paint is celebrated for the unique way that light is represented through this medium.  However over the past few years, since the advent of PCs, paintings have increasingly been selected and often judged from computer photographs.  As a painter, I find this practice very limited. A painting in reality and a painting produced digitally are not  the same thing.  Moreover size does matters!  When paintings are judged for an exhibition they are all viewed in the “same size” format from a computer and/or projected onto a screen.  Size is an element in the planning and production of a painting, and should not be reduced to one size fits all mentality. 

According to the computer scientist, futurist and author Jaron Lanier, “A digital image of a painting is forever a representation, not a real thing...A digital image, or any other kind of digital fragment is a useful compromise.  It captures a certain limited measurement of reality within a standardized system that removes any of the original source’s unique qualities.  No digital image is really distinct from any other; they can be morphed and mashed up.  That doesn’t mean that digital culture is doomed to be anaemic.  It just means that digital media have to be used with special caution.” (my emphasis)  (from “You are not a Gadget” p.133-4).  In other words a painting loses its inherent integrity when it is copied.  Lanier is very concerned with the way the arts and creativity are being compromised by the way computer programming industry has evolved which, in his view, has rendered the present generation culturally impotent.

Lanier goes on to state, “A real painting is a bottomless mystery, like any other real thing.  A painting changes with time.  It has texture, odour and a sense of presence and history.” (from “You are not a Gadget” p,133-4) Expanding on what Lanier says, I would stress that it also is a form of human expression – no other creature communicates in graphic form nor do they think creatively. 

Once a week over the last 86 weeks, I have prepared and published a post about one of my paintings with an emphasis on Understanding Abstract Art.  However from this week onwards I will be writing on a less regular basis.  I will however notify readers in the same way, through Facebook and LinkedIn.  Therefore expect the next post from me in about a fortnight’s time.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #82

Title:   “Cancer on Society” 

(Mixed Media)

120x61cm

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING and Artistic techniques used in the painting:

Cancer has become increasingly prevalent in our society in recent times.  We all have been touched in some way, either directly or indirectly by this epidemic.  My experience with cancer has been through palliative care. I am by profession an Expressive Art Therapist which allows me to use art as a counselling tool. 

A cancer develops in an organism when cells mutate and begin attacking healthy cells.  This painting shows corruption of matter. Corrupting the natural order - cannibalizing - similar to the way that cancer cells attack healthy cells in the body. 

Humanity is presently at a liminal point in time - an in between moment when things are changing rapidly in a way never before imagined.  The outcome may be positive or negative and will to become evident with time.  Both humanity and nature will be the driving forces in determining the outcome.

While seeking an emotional map for all this, humanity has to consider environmental questions raised by the exploitation of nature for monetary gains, such as fracking, mining and logging, all of which have resulted in obscene levels of degradation to the natural environment.  Humanity cannot live without the Earth - in a sense the earth is humanity’s body. 

The future also looks bleak on the biological front .  A recent book called “Frankenstein’s Cat” by Emily Anthes, discusses how biotechnology is shaping our future.  Scientists are storing DNA from the planet’s most exotic creatures.  On the positive side, they are cloning to protect endangered species, craft prosthetics to save injured animals, and employ genetic engineering to stock farms with disease-resistant livestock.   However on the negative side, other experiments have produced sensor-wearing seals, cyborg beetles, a bionic bulldog, a cloned cat and GloFish which glow in the dark.  She interviews scientists, conservationists, ethicists, and entrepreneurs and raises moral and ethical questions such as “What does biotechnology really mean for this world?”

Are these scientific experiments not similar to what cancer does – mutations replacing healthy organisms?”  Has humanity gone past the tipping point?  This is the dilemma raised in my painting “Cancer on Society”.

This painting is in the style of Abstract Expressionism.   This artistic style expresses individual autonomy and freedom in a manner that can be characterised as chaotic and anarchic.  Freedom in life is translated into artistic liberty with an emphasis on gestural spontaneity.

Painting “Cancer on Society” was like making an emotional map.  It did not solve the problems but it did externalize them and by so doing, the problems were then easier to comprehend.

The title of this painting is important to its understanding.  The form is two dimensional and flat.  The tone is neutral and monochromatic.  The colours are randomly mixed and covered with silver enamel spray. 

It is an experimental painting.  The final result which came about by accident is really very aesthetically pleasing.  It is hoped that the outcome for humanity is as pleasing and successful.  At this stage I think that we are looking into Pandora’s Box.  Will the benefits outweigh the risks?  I would invite your comments.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #31

“Its about Oil…its about Water” 

(Mixed media and bitumen on ply board)  

Size:  90x90cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

Many of my paintings are conceptual which means that they are about ideas and not just decorative works.  I did this painting in response to the degradation of our environment by multinational companies and some governments that indiscriminately and blatantly plunder our Earth’s resources.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The painting is almost monochromatic in that the blues blend from one to the other. 

The square support is ply board which has been primed with gap-filler to achieve the textured surface.  The collage in the centre re-states and  emphasizes the square shape of the painting.  I dribbled bitumen onto plastic and when dry then removed the plastic.  The dry bitumen shape was then adhered to the collage to represent oil. 

The dribble in the upper border is the only part where Orange (the complimentary opposite to Blue) is used to subtly draw attention to it. 

In this painting, less says more.  What do you think?  Does it achieve its aim?

The beauty of our environment is being allowed to slip away.  Beauty is nourishment for the soul.  This degradation of our environment has been demonstrated this week at a local level.  The beautiful natural forest in the centre of Buderim Village that I wrote about in posts #21/22/23 was destroyed this week - cut down by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council. 

 

In its place will be a steel and timber viewing platform overlooking the back of a shopping centre.  My paintings are often about the environment... it is my way of saying that we have to be aware of what we are losing before it’s too late.  

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #22

“Passion”   (Acrylic) -  90x120cm  

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

This painting is purely abstract.  The colour red predominates in this painting. Red is rich in symbolic meaning and imbues us with energy.  The title “Passion is derived from the psycho-physiological effects that the colour red has on human beings throughout the world.  Red is considered to be associated with “passion”.  The four basic emotions of human beings are love, anger, sadness and fear.  Passion would be associated with both “love” or “anger”.  Being an art therapist, I would remind you, the reader, that one cannot presume to know which of these two emotions is represented in this painting.  The viewer often projects aspects of themselves onto a painting, so I would suggest that instead of “reading” an emotion into this painting; just see it for what it is – “Passion”.

In this painting, the intense colour was derived from the under painting and also a variety of different types of reds.  Therefore it is a unique red.  Unfortunately the internet does not portray the colours of my paintings accurately.  I spend considerable time mixing my colours, and harmonizing or contrasting my palette.  This subtlety is lost by digital reproduction through photography and the internet.

One of my passions is nature.  

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

My relationship with colour is very strong.  The mixing of the pigments is very relaxing and it is recognized by science that certain colours affect mood.   Oft times I will plan my palette before beginning a painting.  I tend to allow the paint to stimulate my imagination. 

Subjects 1, 2 and 3 show that I started off with water crayons and then progressed from there into acrylics.  None of the water crayons remained visible in the finished work.  It’s a little like going on an adventure of discovery.  Discovery of what I will learn from the painting process from both an objective and subject view point.  The objective being about how I can create an aesthetically pleasing and technically correct effect with the paint.  Subjectively, what I discover about myself in the process.

Borders have been a recurring feature in some of my paintings and this one is no exception.  Texture in most of my paintings is to a minimum.  This is achieved through the use of a roller.  The composition is balanced by both sides having inferences of form which draws the eye to the predominating red space in the centre and the yellow/green coloured border above.  The painting has no movement – it is static.  Red suggests energy however in this painting the overall effect suggests harmony and calmness.

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #17

Title “Heartland – My Buderim Backyard” (Acrylic) 90x90cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

My inspiration for this painting comes from my backyard in Buderim on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Buderim is situated on an old volcano and noted for its natural rainforest beauty. Many of my paintings are inspired from the natural beauty surrounding Buderim. Nature is my friend. It concerns me that much of the beauty of Buderim is under threat because many of the senior trees in this area that have historical significance are non-indigenous. The original indigenous trees of this mountain were the Australian Red Cedar that was wiped out a centaury ago by the timber industry. The early pioneers replanted the area with non-indigenous trees such as the Poinciana, Fig, Camphor Laurel and Slash Pine. Many of these trees have historical significance. However because they are non-indigenous and are not politically correct, the regional council is proposing to remove these trees off Buderim Mountain. This would be a great loss that would change this beautiful area for ever. .

The name of this painting is derived from the heart shaped leaf of the Monstera Delicio (non-indigenous) plant. Buderim is my backyard. Keep Buderim beautiful.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

Like “Greener” (last week’s post) conservation of nature is the subject. It is well suited to the colour green, which is the dominant colour in both paintings. This painting however is more realistic.

I started this painting by pouring paint onto the blank canvas to break up the white surface. This “breaks the ice” for the painting process. You can see some of that initial application still with the organic growth in the background. I have retained a degree of flatness but have achieved the sense of depth, not by perspective, but by putting darks against lights. This is what gives the painting its representational characteristics. In “Greener” (last week’s post) the painting surface did not have depth and I used analogous colours. Here I use complimentary colours. Complimentary colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel. Both paintings are well balanced and are set in a square.

You can see that I have used different techniques in these two paintings to convey similar meaning. Which of the two paintings do you think expresses the message best? Are you beginning to better understand of abstract art? Can you enjoy and appreciate abstract art more?

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #5

Title “Rains” (Acrylic) 90x90cm

The idea behind the painting:-

This painting deals with climate change. It was started during the Brisbane floods of 2011and depicts a watery rainscape with optimism that new life will again return in abundance. One year has past since this disastrous event. Australia is a desert country with weather events such as occasional devastating floods. However, the climate is tending to become more extreme with these weather events occurring more regularly than in the past. These are indications that the earth is becoming out of balance and so humans need to not lose sight of our responsibility in keeping our natural environment healthy.

Artistic techniques to achieve this:-

The composition of this painting is balanced. The predominantly horizontal emphasis suggests the rising levels of water during the flood.

The colours are optimistic but sombre, suggesting the resilience of humanity when faced with adversary, and one year on from this event, this has proved correct.

The point of focus is the red structure. This draws the eye to the horizontal emphasis and the square of the canvas reinforces the balance of the overall image.

This painting conveys an overall feeling of wateriness. The paint has dribbled down the canvas. This vertical dribble is off set by the horizontal emphasis and leads the eye around and down the painting. Also the pink and white colours give a shimmery effect which alludes to the subject title - “Rains”.