Words for our time Print

This is the fourth work in a series inspired by travels to Koyasan in Japan. Founded by a wandering monk named Kukai (Kōbō Daishi) in the 8th Century, Koyasan or Mt Koya, contains 117 temples in this small mountainside town. My work reflects the idea of a spiritual quest and can be read as either inner or external landscapes. I'm fascinated by the way memories of a place are transformed in our minds over time so I like to paint 'dreamscapes' of places I've visited in person and from memory without too much reference to visual material. I find as I work through studies and begin to abstract the memory of a landscape it becomes a more interesting image that says more about my own feeling for a place than a realistic representation of it. JMW Turner, Chu Teh Chun and Darren Waterston are all influences on my work particularly in the atmospheric effects and dreamlike nature of the work. There are many thin glazes of oil paint creating a translucent effect similar to Renaissance techniques. In addition there are some impasto areas, some palette knife work and many gestural, almost calligraphic marks. These are the 'words' of the title representing communication without reliance on a specific language. I hope the viewer will feel a sense of calm and mystery.