Thoughts
My previous artworks have been, perhaps, too constrained, even if there is some randomness applied. The previous marbling and watercoloring were an attempt to break free. There is still an underlying element of control in the reduced number of colors, and the “hybridity” interaction. Of the two, the watercoloring is perhaps too “same-old-same-old”. The marbling pushing into a new direction?
I decided to make some more marbling, but different, more “messy”. This is perhaps a nod to systems thinking and “wicked” problems, which are also known as “messy”. Looking at the critical theory behind my work (concepts from contemporary post-colonial applied to a visual world) it is perhaps only fitting that the visual result is messy, as that reflects the situation.
So, “messy”… attempting to produce something that is more organic… more unconstrained… I deliberately, and literally, stuck my finger in a swirled the inks around before “capturing” them on paper. After a few I introduced a third colour and played with adding that into the mix. The pieces I made in this session — 16 in all — are drying, so I won’t know until tomorrow how they will look, but the color fields are certainly vibrant, and there is that “messiness” in there, and evocations of organic and also chaotic forms.
