I have never managed to develop, as a painter, a strong sense of the importance of the painted surface, as a point of interest or attraction in a work of art. This might well have to do with the central interest for me of pastels, which are my preferred medium. Other features of a picture seem naturally to take precedence, such as mark-making. Sometimes the natural surface of the paper (or other support) does assert itself, adding to the attraction of the image. It isn’t possible, however, as it is with oil or acrylic paint, to develop a highly textured surface that has its own engaging characteristics.
Sometimes, when I have worked with acrylic, I have made a point of developing an interesting surface. If you look at the “galleries” elsewhere in this website you will see examples of that. The triptych of plane bark that is the header of this blog, for example, is one such. The Burka, Biker, Balaklava triptych, which is a mixed media piece incorporating pieces of cloth, is another.* These are, however, relatively unusual exercises that usually have carried a definitely experimental feel for me.
It was interesting, therefore, to visit last week the exhibition in Ilkley by my friend Jackie Waring. In most of her pieces it seems that she has devoted attention to creating a sense of engagement with the painted surface as a central point of interest. The experience of viewing her work reminded me of the year I was fortunate enough to spend with Graeme Willson as a mentor. Graeme’s preferred technique was to work in oil paint over an under-painting in acrylic. From the very outset of each piece he worked towards creating lively and diverse textures. These almost give to his pictures a feeling of opulence, such as you might experience in looking at an expensive brocade.
I’m edging nervously towards a couple of new ideas at the moment, both of which would need to be executed in acrylic, I think. It has crossed my mind to engage with the issue of texture right from the beginning of each project. There has to be a reason for taking this approach, however, and I would resist any suggestion that the surface was there for its own sake. Evidently I’m going to have to think about this one.
*See the gallery entitled Masquerade, in which all of the items involve the use of vigorous textures in different media. The gallery entitled Into the Woods also features some examples of this in the two items entitled The Fair Sister and The Dark Sister.