Fuzzy Logic

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

Fuzzy Logic is one of those paintings that either gets you or it doesn’t. The piece works on scale – what I mean by this is that the story of it’s beauty unfolds as you get close to it. There is a definite change between the overall view when you stand away from the piece and what you get as you move closer towards it. This was deliberate as I love to create paintings that drag in you and make you want to touch it or look at it very, very closely. I make a big deal about the level of detailing I place in some of my paintings and on this occasion I make no apology for doing so again. The pictures you see as you scroll down pay homage to this.

The main vanilla coloured streak dominates the blue space but is subtly balanced by the addition of copper metallic which has been blended into the base layer. The tricky thing to convey in a photograph is how much paint is applied to the canvas. In many areas the physical depth of the paint is about a centimetre. Doesn’t sound much but this is the height above the canvas that some of the applications rise. That is a lot of layers of paint. Just one more way this painting communicates to you – depth.

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

To say this piece is busy is somewhat of an understatement. I painted it like that. I imagined all the things that go on in a micro-chip in a split second of time and wondered what it would look like. Electrical currents, charging and discharging, neural pathways and plusses and minuses all swirling round in this cacophony of organized processing.

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvasDrip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvasDrip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

I used more technical elements in this piece than in most which has resulted in a really complex structure. One of the most critical aspects of this was the ‘cure phase’ as I call it. Enamel paints, whatever their viscosity, require time to cure. A skin will form leaving fresh paint underneath. This in turn hardens until the whole depth of the drop has hardened. In some extreme cases where a lot of paint is used this can take four to six weeks. This then varies depending on how and what you mix it with. So I have to understand the cure phase well enough to be able to make a judgment on when to apply the next colour for the effect I am trying to get. This is absolutely crucial. Too long and no mix, too soon and mix. Always tricky.

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

This particular piece measures 60 inches x 48 inches x 38mm deep. It was painted in nine shades of industrial enamel paint. Each of the paints was thinned to achieve a characteristically dense but even flowing consistency. The application methods have resulted in a fluid and liquid finish to the piece, offering a glossy and reflective surface on which to look upon. It’s heavy too –  which makes this piece feel substantial and I used a ridiculous amount of paint on it too. The canvas was painted on the floor then wrapped around a seasoned timber frame, so the painting wraps around the edges.

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvasDrip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

Drip Painting in blue, cream and white on canvas

One Response to “Fuzzy Logic”

  1. Louis says:

    Fantastic piece. Breathtaking.

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