Large painting depicting the landscape, surrounded by smaller paintings depicting how we reflect on said environment.
The Trees
(large painting, 56x76cm)
For this piece I had to decide what kind of landscape I wanted to portray as the very thing we project ourselves on. I could have made it grandiose, or dismal, or catered to my own understanding of it. Whilst still interested in making something visually appealing, I did try to make quite a generic portrait of it. No sprawling mountains, or rivers, or lakes but trees. Something we've all seen, and daily engage with.
Interested by an Orwell quote along the lines of "[in the city] nature goes on, unofficially", I wanted something that could be related to by all, rural or urban resident, in whichever way they do reflect on it. This project is about projection of different feelings, which does not mean the base image has to really reflect them.
Small Paintings (in box)
The Children (Born)
Perhaps a wilder consideration of instinct than my painting titled The Instinct. Plainly, a recollection to when we were wild, but also a reflection on our slightly feral instincts that still remain (you might dig them out more than most if your name is George Monbiot)... It is not a violent image, but is not about peace either.
The Children (In Wonder)
Looking back to investigation into Montessori and outdoor learning, but most of all the reminiscing of being a child in awe of the environment. Actually, awe is the wrong phrase. As a child you might not register the landscape to be something particularly special as a whole, but it is the little things within it that are wonderful.
The Children (In Conflict)
Our relationship with the environment isn't always peaceful by any means, and in a literal sense of the children, our actions or lack of can influence a disrespect of their surroundings. Sometimes you don't care. (Quite literally, inspired by seeing children throw stones at ducks)
The Witch
Considering connections to the landscape that may feel the same as The Wizard, but are considered to be (unjustly) menacing.
The Wizard
Simply, a reflection on general folklore, the feelings of wonder that quite clearly captured people when looking at large stone formations. A connection that is more positive than The Witch. Influenced by Julian Cope's Modern Antiquarian, and, as well as ancient stone circles, more modern groups of people who found wonder in them- i.e. The Kibbo Kift.
The Instinct
For this image I wanted to convey the primal urges and instincts we might feel out in the wilderness, big or small, as much as the urge to embed your hands and yourself into the grass. Instinct could suggest something harsh, something violent, but what I mostly feel and wanted to get across in the project is that unspoken gut feeling of peace and detachment. I suppose this ties into earlier researched ideas of Attention Restoration Theory, but it's not so much about productivity.
No comments :
Post a Comment