“The near stars streamed past ever faster, until at last the eye saw them marching across the field of view: because by that time, years went by outside while minutes ticked away within. The sky was no longer black; it was a shimmering purple, which deepened and brightened as interior months went by…” Poul Anderson – Tau Zero (1970) Glimmering and iridescent, the appearance of these paintings is inspired by the interplay between matter and energy in science fiction novels and films. In Star Trek, transporters convert crewmembers from one state to the other. This transition between matter and energy is presented as a transient bloom of glittering light, paired with a techno-celestial whoosh. Similarly, in Poul Anderson’s novel, Tau Zero, matter and energy are thrust against one another as the Leonora Christine starship circumvents the universe, producing a deep “shimmering purple” view from inside. Each painting in this series is named after a crewmember of the Leonora Christine as I want the work to echo the dynamic of a starship crew. This also presents a comparison between the utopian ideals of science fiction and early 20th century abstract painters. I have used these concepts and aesthetic in my work in order to reinvigorate the use of the hard edge in abstract painting. A stiff barrier between sections of block colour, the use of the hard edge often results in flat, static imagery. In my paintings however, these barriers have become permeable and block colours, translucent. This is achieved by dragging thin layers of pearlescent acrylic paint over the void of a matt black ground. Initially loaded with paint, the wide brush loses material as it moves along the face of the canvas. This results in a gradation, exposing the relationship between time, energy and matter. In this series, the boundary between foreground and background is blurred. The layers of iridescent paint shift order depending on the amount of material in a given area, where upper layers begin to thin, lower layers become more pronounced. These layers are also perforated by circular rings of negative space that obscure the composition of the work further. I have used these devices as I intend to produce imagery that has the illusion of depth while using strictly two dimensional forms. Work from left to right: Reymont. (April 2018). 1.2x1.2 meters. Acrylic on canvas. Telander. (April 2018). 1.2x1.2 meters. Acrylic on canvas. Ai-Ling. (April 2018). 1.2x1.2 meters. Acrylic on canvas. Lindgren. (April 2018). 1.2x1.2 meters. Acrylic on canvas.
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