I’ve been considering a couple of the new paintings in my latest body of work for the exhibition. They are by their very nature awkward, as they are stretched across a ninety degree angle. This means that they are tricky and unnatural for wall mounting and comfortable viewing of the whole image at once is seriously compromised. Thankfully, this is exactly what I was hoping to achieve…
The works reflect the perspective of Jason, the nine year old autistic boy at the centre of the story (Slipped Halo)which inspired the exhibition. I wanted to suggest his view of events with a one sided perspective. Jason is detail specific. He is uninterested in the genral soup of “stuff” within his environment.
By incorporating a detail which requires closer inspection one one side of the canvas, the whole of the other side is obscured from view, meaning that the viewer has to work harder to appreciate the overall outcome.
The autistic persons interpretation of events can be abstract at times, as certain nuances are misinterpreted or lost altogether on receipt of environmental or social information. The paintings will be presented without clear context or content and act as a passive vehicle in some cases, with which to focus on the specifics that are meaningful in Jason’s world.
