Drawing in On Brown & Violet Grounds
I showed drawings for the first time EVER in recent solo show On Brown & Violet Grounds. A lot of my drawings are now inspiring sculptural work…
“Drawing in On Brown & Violet Grounds The relationship between the sculptor and the act of drawing is a highly personal affair. Technical drawings are, predominately, confined to a studio notebook – never to be exhibited but indispensible in the struggle of translating ideas into concrete outcomes. As creative endeavour itself, drawing forges a path to artistic truth, as this quote from sculptor Barbara Hepworth on the critical need for drawing explains: ‘…I search for forms and rhythms and curvatures for my own satisfaction…but it is in a general sense – that is – out of the drawings springs a general influence.’ 4 The ‘general influence’ that Hepworth suggests elucidates the power of drawing to sculptural practice: each mark influences, informs and nourishes the artistic process. However drawing shouldn’t be confined to paper based activity. During the creation of her work – whether drawing on paper or arranging the order of fluorescent sticklights on a concrete floor – West uses each element as an exploratory tool; experimenting with colour and space until the work is harmonious with its surroundings.”
– Jack Welsh, 2013
I can’t believe it was exactly a week since Bury Light Night. Time is flying! I made a new work specially for the event, details of which are in this special blog post.
NEW WORK:
An Additive Mixture
T5 fluorescent sticklights
Variable dimensions
2013
In this site-specific installation work, specially conceived for Bury Light Night, West has systematically arranged numerous multicoloured fluorescent stick-lights in an empty retail unit. The title of work is taken from Josef Albers text ‘Interaction of Colour’, where it is explained that a direct mixture of projected light demonstrates an additive mixture where the sum of all colours in light is white.
An Additive Mixture is a sculptural interpretation of a recent work-on-paper where West has considerately positioned and orchestrated the lights as a direct response to details in the space. The relationship between the different hues is apparent through West’s attraction and understanding of colour theory.
For those who weren’t able to make it to my recent solo presentation On Brown & Violet Grounds in Manchester, here are yet more images, video and description of another new work:
NEW WORK
Dispersion of White
Installation (T5 fluorescent sticklights, acrylic, paint tins)
Variable dimensions, this image shows 150cm (W) x 140cm (D) x 30cm (H)
2013
A sizeable sheet of Perspex has been laid over an assortment of fluorescent sticklights. Your eyes begin to assess the situation. Unsurprisingly, the vivacious sheet of Perspex transfixes them; red, blue and yellow all fluidly bleed into each other without any clear delineation. The robust form of the sticklights project out from underneath the Perspex, like a glimpse at the inner workings of a complex industrial machine. You notice that four circular discs hold up the sheet; they are humble paint pots. Dispersion of White opens up a dialogue between the work and the practice of painting. The subtle introduction of the paint pot is a loaded gesture. Is the surface of the Perspex a comment on painterly sensibility?
– Jack Welsh, 2013
For those who weren’t able to make it to my recent solo presentation On Brown & Violet Grounds in Manchester, here are more images, video and description of another new work.
NEW WORK:
Vanishing Boundaries
Installation (T9 circular fluorescent bulbs, mirror, extension cables)
Variable dimensions, this image shows 500cm (W) x 500cm (D) x 10cm (H) approx.
2013
Vanishing Boundaries signifies a connection between West’s long-standing artistic interests (including methodically gathering objects) and new sculptural experiments. Comprising of an array of reflective discs protruding above floor level, the installation emits intense bursts of light from underneath the discs; the concrete floor is transformed into a field of colour, connected by the trailing electrical wires. The hues of each light gently diminish creating, as the title of the work hints, soft colour mixes. Notably, the reflective discs also deny us full exposure to the source of light: a method that West has employed in previous installations.
– Jack Welsh
For those who weren’t able to make it to my solo presentation On Brown & Violet Grounds at Piccadilly Place, Manchester (25th September – 2nd October), here are some images, video and description of the work for your viewing pleasure…
I will be adding one new work everyday for the next few days, watch this space!
NEW WORK:
Tempo
Installation (T5 fluorescent sticklights, extension cables)
Variable dimensions, this image shows 250cm approx. diameter x 40cm (H)
2013
The fluorescent sticklight, a key material in West’s new installations, is perhaps one of the most effective visual spatial devices. Aside from its obvious exuberant colours, its most striking feature is its stripped back materiality. West has modified each sticklight with a particular colour. This colour palette is reminiscent of the neon lights that were so prominent in the 1960s coinciding with the emergence of installation art. Through methodically mixing each tube in relationship to each other, West cultivates our perceptions, drawing on Albers practice based theory that colour can only be truly understood in relation to other colours and, crucially, our own knowledge of the colour spectrum. The raw exuberance of the sticklights becomes a catalyst to trigger a response: the viewer is needed to activate the work.
– Jack Welsh, 2013
