It’s Not All Black and White. Why monotone?
For this project I have moved away from the full colour of my previous painted works and begun to work in monotone. Many of todays major portrait and figurative artists are working in this way, but why? Yan Pei Ming, Richter, Wilhelm Sasnal, Vihls, all monotone. Yan Pei Ming explains it this way;
“black and white create a world of one’s own. An artist has to find and create his own world. Besides, black and white suit my artistic language. I am a very simple person. These two colours are very direct and true, simple.”
http://www.initiartmagazine.com/interview.php?IVarchive=6
Speaking for myself I have to say that for the message I am trying to convey, colour would be an unwelcome distraction. When looking at my current work I don’t want the viewer to be thinking about colour or the formal qualities of the work. The people are the important thing and I aim for the debate to be about them rather than the aesthetic aspect. That’s not to say I should completely ignore questions of composition and aesthetics, but for this project they need to play a back up role. I would be disappointed when presenting subject matter of this importance to me to hear a discussion about whether my colours were “right”, therefore I have decided to completely remove this potential distraction. “Direct and true, simple”
Putting the paints down for five minutes my attention was drawn to an article in today’s Telegraph. Entitled “Four women on being homeless” it tells of the experiences of four women who found themselves in a homeless situation. The article is interesting because the people and the stories they tell do not fit the stereotypical view of homelessness and explain that more and more people are becoming vulnerable to the threat of homelessness.
Common factors in the stories told are the precariousness of private rental, lack of tenant’s rights and a severe lack of council housing and support. Secure tenancy and a permanent home were once a right, but at now it seems to be becoming more a privilege and a prize.
Homelessness is not just about living and sleeping rough on the streets. Many people, many families are finding themselves in totally unsuitable accommodation very often through no fault of their own. The problem, the threat and fear of homelessness does not go away simply by putting a roof over peoples’ heads. The issue of secure and permanent housing is one that needs to be addressed. Although the stories may seem grim, the resilience and strength of those portrayed in the article does show through, it hasn’t been easy for them. If you want to read the piece for yourself click on the link below.
Blogs have been thin on the ground for the past month. My time has been taken up very productively, mainly with gathering source material and acquiring various materials for painting and drawing onto and exploring different approaches to exploit these materials fully. From this point I have begun to produce work that I am actually happy with. I am becoming more attracted to reclaimed timber, whether in sheet material, boards, planks or slats. I am finding these materials interesting as they provide another layer to the painted works, offering the viewer the chance to contemplate their significance in relation to the subject matter.
These materials were fashioned to build houses and structures and when found or reclaimed are often used to create temporary shelter. With shortage of housing and a serious lack of homes currently being built a significant contributing factor to homelessness and the threat of homelessness, the relation between these materials and the people and issues depicted on them is one well worth developing.
At the moment I am about to begin work on some found fencing panel strips. Their role in marking and securing boundaries, separating land and property and defining ownership of these is an opportunity I could not pass up. The irony of using a material that keeps people out of homes and off of land to portray the homeless fascinated me and is an idea well worth developing.
