Having documented the final major project of my Foundation course (here), and added a few reflections about my work and the course (here), I will try to continue reflecting on my practice and figuring out how to proceed. First, a repeat of something I posted on that reflections page:
I have been trying to work out which artists I should look at to learn about how I make work. Not to copy their techniques or subject matter but to understand better what it is that I’m doing.
I think that my approach to figuration is most like Ken Kiff which is no surprise to me: it was seeing Kiff’s work for the first time recently that made me think it was possible that I could make images that were ‘right’ for me. In terms of composition, the closest I’ve found so far is perhaps Neo Rauch though mine are less collage-like. His work has an almost-real feel to it while also being wholly surreal and this is something I’m hoping to achieve in my paintings.
1986 to 1988
Acrylic and oil on board
(from It’s Nice That)
It is in the ‘feel’ of the paint that I’m struggling to find a ‘mentor’. I like the effect of flatness in the paint that I’ve achieved. Many artists have the paint applied flatly while still producing a range of tones in their colouring: I’ve not found figurative painters that use large swathes of monotonal colour, eliminating depth in both look and application.
I will keep looking, and, hopefully, posting here using the tag ‘reflections‘.
Tony Linde 