Finger paintings

I completed this series shortly after the John Knox Street works. Again, as I question traditional painting methods, I was thinking about what surface to move onto. I still hadn't cracked it at this stage. But a thought did occur, why am I using paintbrushes? Instead, the brushes were put away to the side and I started using my fingers.

Upon my research I came across the artist Mark Wallinger and his 2016 exhibition, 'ID'. Wallinger uses his hands and arms to create Rorschach-inkblot-style works. Claiming in an interview for the New York Times, 'You think of working with the hand as quite crude, but you can do a lot more with it and take a mark a lot further than you can with a loaded brush.' (2016).

I was having a similar thought process whilst working on this series. I was happy to come across this artist. Although, he uses this method as a form of self portraiture, to represent the self. Whereas I am using it to in as a response to the method of psychogeography. Since they were taken from my walking drawings again.

I did believe I had more control over my colours as opposed to my brushes. I think there's definitely better mark making here in comparison to my other works. There's more control and depth.

ID, (2016), 26th Feb - 7th May 2016, Hauser & Wirth, London.

Judah, H. (2016). How One Contemporary Artist Got Addicted to Finger Painting. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/t-magazine/art/mark-wallinger-hauser-wirth-london.html. Last accessed 17th Jan 2021.

John Knox Street

Beginning the process of expanded painting has felt like I'm taking two steps forward but one step back.

In line with my research, I was keen on paintings by J.M.W Turner. From one of my photographs on an early morning dog walk, the way the light shone in reminded me of his work. I decided to give it a go. As mentioned before, lighting and weather became the focus on my walks. My senses were drawn and kept picking up on it. And I was depicting that in previous series: Routes III, Routes V, and my monoprints. I wanted to try this in Turner's way.

I was back to planning my expanded works, maybe painting this way onto a more relevant surface. This series was continuing to keep my options open although aware I'd have to narrow this down soon in order to develop final works soon.

Acrylic on canvas board 10x10"

Beginnings of expanded painting - Routes VII

To begin the expanded painting, the first thing to do was get rid of working on squared paper/canvas surface. Like in my previous plans, I thought isolating the shapes from the background would achieve this.

I guess these could be considered collages just as much as a painting. Mounted painting? For this series I have continued to use acrylic painted onto cardboard. I felt this series was an important stage for this project. It stays connected to previous works; Routes I, II and VI. But was an insight into how I want to take my work forward. In the process, I was thinking about Josef Albers colour theory again.

However, I decided not to continue with this process. My method here doesn't relate to my research enough for me to justify creating more. I don't think there's enough relation to my methodology.

For expanded painting, what I am painting onto and how it will be displayed should have more of a direct link to my research. Especially Lefebvre's theory of the everyday.