Figure No.27

This painting is part of a series inspired by historic costume patterns. The designs reduce the human figure to a series of measurements and cut out shapes which provide the human scale in each painting. The hard edge abstract painting is rooted in representation of the figure.

The physical characteristics of the materials, such as ground earth and rocks, used in the production of paint play an important role. They are applied so they build up in layers reminiscent of the process of sedimentation in the landscape. In a way the paint surface becomes a cave wall showing evidence of chance happenings over time.

The contrast between the fluid areas and the dense flat areas of paint creates a shifting sense of foreground and background. The colour relationships are developed intuitively, responding to the environment. For instance, blues and greys represent the changing light of the sky and the colour of building materials such as brick, plaster and sand are used in response to the urban world that the artist lives in.

Patterns, such as historic floor tiles and mosaics, inspire new works because the artist views them as the human intervention into the landscape. The compositions are developed through geometric drawings and precise measurements, often using recurring elements found in pre-historic pottery or textile designs. He sees these patterns as a universal language of circles, squares and triangles which form the building blocks of ever more complexity.