The meaning of my art, November 2004
I do not think that my paintings represent clear ideas.
I could not describe to someone what I thought the painting expressed. Typically I have a half-formed
idea about what a painting is going to look like when I start. Sometimes I have a very clear idea,
such as when I am painting a particular sunset, or working from a photograph. What the finished painting
looks like is a function of many things, of which this initial idea is simply one factor.
An idea for a painting may come when I am looking at something and think, "I want to paint that", or
later when I have thought about it and a good idea for a painting occurs. Sometimes I might want to use
a particular technique, or just a particular colour. It is rare that I start painting at the same moment
the idea occurs. Thus, the painting is already a function of the initial idea (and my state of mind at the time),
whatever I have experienced between that time and when I come to start the painting (sometimes many years later),
and my state of mind when I start to paint.
Then, as I start to paint, I am forced to crystallise the ideas; they can no longer remain half-formed,
ineffable feelings, but I must make decisions. We tend to think that our ideas and opinions are solid
and determined in our minds, if only we could express them properly. I believe that the ideas themselves
are unclear, and only become clear once expressed; once we have to put them into words, or actions, or paint.
Throughout this process, I am influenced by what I am feeling, what music I am listening to, where I am working,
the time of day, and so on. Even the paint and canvas themselves dictate how the painting progresses.
I may have an idea and the paint simply doesn't want to do that today. If I have to stop to answer the phone,
the paint dries a little and will lend itself to different techniques, and the end result may be completely
different because of it.
The finished work is very much a product of both me and my environment. If you want to look at a painting
and determine 'what the artist is trying to say', you should consider that this is only one of the factors
that led to its final appearance.
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