Translation No. 4 Painting

Jim Grundy’s acrylic paintings are inspired by the relationship between the colours and patterns found in the natural and built environment. The compositions are developed using mathematical processes including symmetry, reflection and rotation. The interaction between chance and control is a significant factor in the development of each work. The chance element involves allowing the painting to develop and build up layers instinctively, letting gravity dictate the flow in a similar way to the process of sedimentation. The control element involves precise preliminary drawings usually mapped out on graph paper then projected and transferred onto the paint surface. In time the balance between the colour intensity, shape, size and texture of each element crystallises. Travelling often provides the stimulus for new work. One series of paintings was drawn from the colours and rock formations of the great national parks in USA referencing pottery and textile designs. Similarly, floor and wall tile patterns, especially from the historic towns of Spain, have provided the catalyst for a series of paintings inspired by the distinctive colours of traditional Spanish houses. Another recent series of paintings titled ‘Figures’ references the dual meaning of the word ‘figure’ as in the human figure and the use of the term in labelling diagrams. Diagrams of historic costume patterns which render the human figure as measurements and cut out shapes were the inspiration. These designs enabled him to inject the human presence into the landscape processes he harnesses in his work. In many ways the works can be seen as landscapes with human intervention. The areas of natural pigment bound with a medium form rivulets and accidental meanderings under the action of gravity. These areas contrast with fluid washes of paint and areas of intense dense colour which highlight the contrast between the natural and man-made. His paintings can appear to be in the tradition of hard-edged geometric abstraction but the contrast between the fluid surfaces and areas of intense colour and their relationships are rooted in observation of the real world.