GRIDS AND WASHES

Abstraction and Meaning

(See Research - Grid Possibilities)

Some would deem this an oxymoron, however the quest remains to produce a competent abstract painting using the 'language of Grids and Washes.

Viewing some of Sarah Morris's work she seems to make a valid comment on the urban environmnet through her particular language of abstraction

Untitled image of Sarah Morris's work

                                                    

 1.8m square stretched canvvas- PVA primed to retain 'raw canvas' and 'mid tone' value. Masking of canvas primed with PVA- 4 widths of tape used

 

Philosophical basis for work

Following the experimentation using grids and washes as already documented within this blog I view the grid as a metaphor for man's impact upon the landscape, a Cartesian statement of man's primacy. The washes (pigment held in an aquaeous suspension) therefore represent the processes of the natural landscape. It is the inherent tension between these two fundamentally differing aspects of applying paint that forms the  basis of my current work.

Technical Issues

• difficulty of producing precise lines through bleeding- attempt to seal edges of tape with further application of PVA (JH tip). Not entirely successful due to use of very wet washes. However am reasonably happy with result as it neatly represents the somewhat confused overlap between man driven processes and the natural landscape. If I had been aiming for a hard edged 'urban' character as Morris successfully acheives (see above) this would be quite unacceptable.

• difficulty of anticipating result as initial washes applied over the tapes- not able to properly appreciate the resultant grid until tape removed. Further modifications would involve retaping various sections.

• anticipating visual effect of overlaying different coloured wahes and mixing wet into wet which can produce very interesting and subtle results- some trials necessary