Aurum ex tenebris (Metanoia V) Painting

The title of my new series of paintings 'Metanoia' is a word derived from Greek meaning "changing one's mind”. This mental shift is explored in the work through the semi-abstract nature of the compositions that are created through digitally collaging, distorting and layering multiple photographic elements which are then synthesized and refined through a final stage of painting in oils. Through the use of semi-abstraction in my work I’ve always tried to connect with the neurological processes of seeing. It encourages the viewer into a visual state of limbo, where the brain attempts to pull the image together, to make sense of the recognizable parts. This is an evolutionary trait, known as pareidolia, left over from such mechanisms as trying to find the form of possible predators or prey camouflaged in the undergrowth. I've also used the sunset/sunrise elements within the work to connect with our primal neurology. In our past, when night was the most dangerous time, to appreciate the last and first light of the day was especially important and one reason why we are so drawn to such imagery. By working with these universal optical mechanisms my intention is to intensify these visual triggers even further so they form a sort of neurological hyperactivity.