Last sequence of work based on photo project

More abstraction based on the flaking paint photograph as inspiration.

Further refinements as follows -

The final version of the series....made up of 4 pieces to correspond with different phases - see previous post re photoproject will arrive soon. Early stage shown below....

I have a lot of work to do but hope to finish it off as 4 panels against a black background separated by ~ 2cm. Should be interesting, at least.

Inspiration from Georgia O'Keefe  exhibition seen in Rome over Xmas holidays. She was some gal living to 99 years of age , much of that in the desert of New Mexico, painting sensual abstractish forms from nature.
http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/
http://www.georgia-okeeffe.com/
http://www.georgiaokeefe.com/

A flavour of Georgia's work.....

The Photo Exhibition - Splish,Spalsh,Splosh

The following images are of the display of photos along the corridor between the canteen and the foyer within LSAD.

View going down the corridor.

Photographs are arranged in a broad and irregular stripe following the contour of the floor. The irregularity of outer contour and arrangement of mixed portrait and landscape orientations is designed to reflect the random nature of the subject matter being displayed ....ie splashes of paint

However going up and down the corridor it only acheives this goal to a moderate degree. It still looks very regular and composed.

and lastly

With more space , perhaps a random order with some small arrays of order to catch the attention .....ask the audience to look for a pattern. Perhaps a band of colour.
Attempt 1 below using eyes looking up in bottom right hand corner.....

SPLISH , SPLASH,SPLOSH - Paint in Limerick City

Project from Peter Morgan was to photograph 'paintwork' in the city ....large or small...in an interesting manner. ie in or out of context, realist,abstract.....whatever.

9 photos that I assembled starting with the one I liked most.

The reasons why I like this are the 3 - dimensional nature and mixture of geometric and organic like forms / shapes. Thinking metaphorically I see the layer of paint retaining a tenacious hold on the metal surface but ultimately fighting a losing battle. There is a certain beauty in the contrast between the firm hold, the initial curling up at the edges, the shadow formed by the departing flake and the clean background with no visible traces of the paint. Could this be our lives....holding on, letting go , being remembered and influencing others for a short time only to become 'nothing'.

Thats what I think ...in my current state of mind. Thats the way it is!

I won't tell you what these images are. Some are very large ...some very small. Enjoy!?!?

An exhibition of the top one or two chosen by each student was subsequently put together in LSAD ,in the corridor reaching from the foyer to the canteen.

Next Blog!

Further attempts at abstraction

Inspired by a workshop on handling oil paint let it flow in the studio for a couple of weeks with no subject matter......Thought it would be easier than it was.

Enough said!

Perhaps with a bit more subtlety....liked this one (below)

This exploration was fun but ran out of steam as there was no positive feedback from the painting process.....ie was not in the place......

Photo project next ....maybe some more inspiration!

Its been a while....

Hi All,
A lot appears to have opnened over the last few months. Summer holidays were great but need to get a job next year. Did no painting whatsoever ...persuading myslef that this is due to intense activity during term.....not so sure. Anyway, back to college with a bang. Shall try and recount as best I can.

INSTALLATION - the word that strikes fear into the heart of any old skeptic like me.

The smart-arse idea (my speciality) of hanging unrelated objects from the ceiling backfired big time in that all I ended up with is a few discrete objects with no relationship to each other. I produced a few bits and pieces of some of the items as they dangled trying to inject some life in them with limited success.....and more importantly ....being pretty representational....not good, in this place at least.

Guitar strings made from barbed-wire with spot of blood. Looks better in real-life ...but not much.
In a similar vein I connected the broken string on the guitar neck with the twin towers 'event'. The painting is supposed to be two guitar necks with a broken string implying something is wrong. The perspective is similar to many of the views of the twin towers on that fateful day as the planes crashed in.

At this point started to try and go abstract.......1st ...a very twee attempt...

When you are in it , making it...you look at it closely and see some naturally occurring interesting patches. However on reflection afterwards it is vaccuous with no intent or purpose...jus chance.

Tried manipulating ink on a piece of blue floor insulation .

Some success but vey difficult to work with and though you can get marvellous ink suspended in H2O effects and gloss ....the fading and drying process diminishes the appearane dramatically. Will come back to this later on. layering and abstraction qualities ...very good.

Decided to concentrate on the broken string / tension as a concept rather than a representation or total abstract form.  Tried to capture physical feeling of tension by bending wooden dowl rods coming out of a flat planar surface. Dont have a good photo of this in its finished state hanging on the wall....but you get the idea below.

Broke 2 rods trying to squeeze into drilled holes in mdf board painted black. (wetting them first is apparently the thing to do) Anyway....painted the rods in increasing warmth of temperature from end to centre and placed image of hot element underneath to implay intense heat and imminent possible rupture. Beautiful but dangerous....sweet and sour.

Next blog for what happened next!