This work's evolution was unintentional. The canvas originated as a commissioned piece for a music video time-lapse eight months ago. Despite submitting the initial result, I felt dissatisfied with the outcome—a common sentiment I experience with my artwork, though I state this without pretension.
This particular piece, however, compelled me to persist. I continued to add layers, melted pastels, and experimented with various media including clay and fabric. At times, I erased everything, repainting the canvas white. I explored techniques such as melting pastels and creating transfer prints, only to subsequently remove all elements from the canvas and recommence the process.
After eight months of this iterative process, the canvas is now almost entirely black. Whether this final state represents a subconscious attempt to obscure work I deemed inadequate, or simply serves as a facile means of "completing" the piece, remains ambiguous. Regardless of the underlying motivation, the work will retain its current form and will serve more as a sculpture rather than a painting.
RESIST EVERYTHING NATURAL
SINGLE PAINTING
"RESIST AGAINST EVERYTHING NATURAL AND ANYTHING THAT TRIES TO SHAPE ME"
150 X 100CM
Acrylic, oil pastels, modeling clay and hessian on cotton canvas
In this work, I explored the concept of a painting transcending its physical attributes, while paradoxically expressing these ideas on a traditional canvas. I retained modernist-inspired elements but departed from constructing the work as a window into different worlds. This piece aimed to push the notion of never-ending work, viewing progression as an endless process, which consequently
led to drastic changes in the work over an eight-month period.
Inevitably, my understanding of painting and the world around me shifted concurrently, resulting in a disapproval of all previous ideas that had guided me to my position eight months after initiating work on the canvas. The final result holds minimal visual significance beyond the visible layers and melted materials adhered to the surface. However, contextually, it serves as a testament to the decision to obscure my work visually in a moment of self-doubt and embarrassment. Only then did the work feel complete.
In this work, I explored the concept of a painting transcending its physical attributes, while paradoxically expressing these ideas on a traditional canvas. I retained modernist-inspired elements but departed from constructing the work as a window into different worlds. This piece aimed to push the notion of never-ending work, viewing progression as an endless process, which consequently
led to drastic changes in the work over an eight-month period.
Inevitably, my understanding of painting and the world around me shifted concurrently, resulting in a disapproval of all previous ideas that had guided me to my position eight months after initiating work on the canvas. The final result holds minimal visual significance beyond the visible layers and melted materials adhered to the surface. However, contextually, it serves as a testament to the decision to obscure my work visually in a moment of self-doubt and embarrassment. Only then did the work feel complete.