University Campus Suffolk

But hey – before more of the back story, here’s an introduction to two of the characters born from my imagination and based on a lifetime of meeting such people. Of course, their story is at an end before it has begun, and that’s the point of all this. My tales are told in a flash; a moment of time that records their simultaneous demises.

So, this week we are joined by Frederick Smarmsworth – a hard-nosed businessman in his own mind, who in actual fact was only ever a low-level manager in a chain of Window Replacement companies. This has left him bitter. Yes, twisted too.

Fred, as he’s generally known, has nurtured a dark, secret side to his life. He has fed his mind with depraved imagery, and is addicted to stories of murder. In fact, you may be shocked to hear that Fred has murdered many people over a number of years. This tale is yet to tell – but the one we shall remember him by is the one we see today; Fred has himself been murdered …

Excuse me for taking you on this little ‘journey’ – I know how some people don’t like artists to look backwards at what has been, but I really do have to. I have always believed that everything you do is everything you will become. There’s no point in this Degree Project, 6IX Souls without the back-story.

So, before we charge headlong into smashing-up and burning the art of the future, let’s pause for a short while to think about/understand why.

I’m including here a choice few of my own artworks from down the years, as my Degree Project is in many ways a continuation of the ‘Destruction is Creation’ theme I have maintained throughout.

To understand where these pieces came from; why I had made them – and who/what influenced them is vital to me, at least. I never made anything without a reason. Some tales are untold, and most probably will remain so – but they all bring us to today. Today is the beginning of thy desperate end.

It could also be the end of thy desperate beginning.

Therein lies some of the concept …

It’s been a little while since my last blog post – entirely because the real, ‘non-blogging’ world is full. My head has become a stockpile of information that I suppose I should share …

I have developed my 6IX Souls project along narrative lines, and am compiling the all-important tales of those that will pass away.

On a purely experimental front, to develop the component parts of the piece still further, I have been having a bit of fun with burning things; I always did like burning things …

It’s Sunday. I’ve been thinking all week about some creative adventures I can have with my theme. On Thursday, my gallery had an opening event for the next exhibition staged by the artist-led group I am a part of – DIG! More about that at some other time.

The point is, it’s been a ridiculously busy week, and every time I’m at uni, I don’t get the things done that I’d like to. I used to get these things done in my spare time, but I don’t have any of that now – so I have to work hard to make things happen whenever I can. Yesterday, I was at the gallery all day, and it was particularly well attended, which was obviously good; I dreamt of being somewhere quiet, making art.

So, it’s Sunday and I’ve been busy multitasking again; but I did get a chance to work artistically. I awoke this morning thinking about a new addition to my paintings.

I have long enjoyed punching through canvasses to create holes through the picture plane, and I’ve also got into film-making in the last 3 years. So, I thought, I can make films that will show through these punched holes in my canvasses.

Today, I took a canvas I’d been working on and mildly dislike (not unusual!) outside, and used my propane blowtorch to scorch & burn it – oh, and I cut and slashed a hole through it in a place that will give balance to the composition.

The blowtorch gave me some control; too much at times. I’ve always enjoyed chance in art – my recent dissertation was on that very subject. Once you let things catch fire, you have less control, and so this is what I did at times. As a result, holes were burnt through the surface in places that the fire decided to burn completely through.

It’s been a cold, windy day, and a difficult one to work on. I doused the canvas in water and left it outside overnight to ensure I don’t end-up burning down my house.

Tomorrow, I shall take it to university if it’s dry enough and begin the next stage – making a wire frame for the back to hold a tablet pc. The tablet pc will show my films of smouldering fires and flames through one of the holes, such that the viewer will see what seems to be a canvas that is burning.

Once that is done, I shall set about fine tuning the painting to make the composition work.

Why do all this? Because my degree show piece will include 4 canvasses representing 4 different lives ending. I am still working on how exactly I will do that. This then, is a sketch.

Images relating to this artwork to follow sometime this week. It was too dark & cold outside to hang around recording my madness on camera (this time) ..!