Gillian L-B, Brain in Flow, 2016
Artist Statement:
My abstract paintings comprise millions of tiny particles (e.g. pigment, water) which run together in waves to form images which like photographs, develop to reveal something about the fluctuating frequencies active in my entire nervous system as I paint.
These images do not simply encode body and brain activity, they encode consciousness which is intrinsic to human evolution and survival. Although there is a direct correspondence between awareness and consciousness, awareness can be articulated to some extent whereas consciousness has yet to be located.
In my work I attempt too generate spaces in which my mind can inform me about things I cannot otherwise know.
I am interested in the creative potentials of contemporary scientific theories for the purpose of developing my arts practice; they provide me with unfamiliar concepts, techniques and material which I can use to explore the creative potential of consciousness.
As an artist working predominantly with visual perception, light is a significant component in and subject of my work. Light, seen by us as colour, dominates how we perceive the universe and navigate space.
In my work light creates space, from, paradox, shock and nuance. Relationships united by light/colour often produce paradox and striking juxtapositions. When I observe my paintings as they develop, I notice intersections of paint which form miniature compositions, or statements.
What interests me about these miniature compositions is the subtlety. or intensity, of their disparate yet coexisting visual statements for example, delicate arrow-head formations of fine lines leading the eye away from complex collisions of coloured strata, or complete loss of definition, or a wildly different rhythm.
Gillian L-B, Untitled, Ink on Mylar, 2016
Gillian L-B, Untitled, Ink on Mylar, 2016
Notes for those who like data:
Brainwaves are measured in Hertz (HZ). Infra-low waves measure <0.5 HZ, delta waves 0.5 to 3 HZ, theta waves 3 t 8 HZ, alpha waves 8 to 12 HZ, beta waves 12 to 38 HZ and gamma waves 38 to 42 HZ (really buzzing!).
If you think of the electromagnetic spectrum as spanning 2500 miles, the part visible to the human eye as coloured light spans the width of a one pence coin – and invisible areas are infinite.
Electromagnetic energy is a form of energy that is reflected, or emitted, from objects in the form of electrical and magnetic waves that can travel through space – this includes you.
The conscious electromagnetic field theory (Cemi, McFadden, 2007) proposes that consciousness is a manifestation of the brain’s electromagnetic field. This places human consciousness on the same electromagnetic spectrum as light and auditory wavelengths.
It is estimated that the light we see has been travelling for about 13.4 billion years – this is called the ‘observable universe’ – this information is susceptible to change.
Gillian L-B, Untitled, Ink on Mylar, 6 x 4 inch
http://butane.chem.uiuc.edu/pshapley/GenChem2/A3/3.html
