NEW EXHIBITION: Rolling of Dice: EXPLORATION OF INTUITION AND CHANCE

Canwood Gallery is delighted to be hosting a new exhibition next week:-

Rolling of Dice – Exploration of intuition and chance by Brian Richardson.

The exhibition starts on 15th May and continues until 30th May, in the main gallery.

11am to 4pm Tuesday to Sunday

Here is a little background on the exhibition…

All of the works on show have elements in common…..chance, happy accidents, discovery. The Theme therefore relates to the process of painting rather than any subject matter or content. It is a truism that there is nothing new, and we can find evidence of the above elements as long ago as the cave paintings, where early man appears to have used a hand as a stencil, and splattering pigment onto the wall of the cave, removing the hand to reveal the shape of an animal. There is evidence too of randomness in eighth century Chinese painting. One artist, Wang Mo apparently often got drunk before splashing paint on a silk scroll, which he kicked and smeared to achieve effects. Later he would use a brush to add conscious “finishing touches.” Ancient Oriental calligraphers are reported to have suspended themselves over their scrolls and mobilised their whole body, creating designs by gaining momentum and using a loaded brush to create dynamic, energetic work.

The importance of movement, motion and chance remained and later came to significance for example in the twentieth century American artist Jackson Pollack. Standing over his canvas, he moved a dripping paint can over the surface allowing the paint to fall freely. Describing this process, Pollack said, “When I am in my painting, I’m not aware of what I am doing…..the painting has a life of its own.”

Most of us at some time or another will have enjoyed looking at clouds, or into the flames of a fire and “seeing things.” Probably too, we will have dropped colour onto one half of a piece of paper, folded the paper and created various images, usually reminiscent of a butterfly! Or experimented with dropping paint onto one sheet of paper, placing another on top, pressing, and the revealing two images.

My own paintings emerge from the emotions I feel…..I am a physical and spontaneous painter, working to capture feelings and emotions in a tangible form. I begin without expectations, “I do not seek, I find.” ( Pablo Picasso) and work on a subconscious level that disregards conscious logic. Guided by my “inner voice”, I surrender control to the paint, transporting it by various means on a journey of creative discovery. I have no fear of “making mistakes.” It is only when I become consciously aware and start making judgments that problems occur. I simply stop, or move to another painting for a while!

I am reliably informed that all of the above examples relate to a process called ALEATORICISM, which means the incorporation of chance into the process of creation. Aleatoricism is derived from the Latin word Alea, THE ROLLING OF DICE.