Influences

Colour is stronger than language it’s subliminal communication’ Louise Bourgeois

I had a rather thorough sort out of my studio the other day, particularly to relocate a bunch of books, so I could re home a bookcase for my sons overflowing amount of books. Within this I was met with the hefty selection of sketchbooks that I have held onto since my A level and university days. Sketchbooks have always been incredibly personal and I cannot comprehend getting rid of them, the bulk of books are from when I studied Fine Art down in Falmouth. This is where I really started to explore and hone a language with my art. The evolution of this is evident within the sketchbooks and by year three I had focused on a strongly abstract style looking at how colour communicates through painting. Being down in Cornwall I was very much drawn to artists such as Peter Lanyon, Patrick Heron and Barbara Hepworth. From further afield my influences on colour as a form of communication were ( and continue to be) Mark Rothko, Josef Albers and Yves Klien.

Josef Albers

Albers as a teacher sought to show how colours when placed next to others can alter the perception of the original colour, this illusion could be used to ‘push and pull’ and it’s one I am very concious of with my paintings. I want my work to have a depth, to draw the eye around it, to give so much context that when you study it you find a collection of different pathways for the eye to wander, giving interest to a painting. Allowing you to experience and enjoy it in different ways.

I first discovered Rothko when I sat in the ‘Rothko room’ at the Tate in London. I like others could have sat there for ages and I believe if I ever lived nearby would find myself visiting frequently to soak in the magical transcendent beauty of these large colour field paintings. Not only is it his use of colour which triggers something within our being but I am drawn into the layers of painting, it’s like you can see through them into the thickness of the paint, the way the edges blur, the darker tones drawing you in. Mesmerising. Rothko’s influence made me really think about how colour is intricately linked with our emotions and thought. Almost as if it’s an extension of a sense. If sight was split up into what we were actually seeing colour in its part plays an incredible part in the wiring of thoughts and feelings.

Finally I want to talk about Peter Lanyon as one of my biggest influences, he wouldn’t describe his Art as abstract for him it was a reflection of landscape but he would find intriguing ways of experiencing these landscapes, particularly through his passion of gliding. He saw the cornish countryside in an aerial view and translated this onto his large canvas, again with a powerful use of colour. When I first visited Falmouth for an open day we stayed in St Ives and I was lucky enough to see his retrospective. The Tate St Ive’s was carefully curated taking you through the artists life up until his death and showing the evolution of his style and ideas. I am not sure if I can put into words why I loved his work, but in many ways as Art does it just stirred something within my soul, I felt immersed in his paintings, curious of their creation and his thought process.

Peter Lanyon

In a world where almost everything is available digitally, seeing pieces of Art in person still is an incredible profound experience, personally as someone who loves to see the complexity of visual art I struggle to understand the whole NFT thing. Art which was made by someones hands is to be experienced in person. I find seeing work in person drives me on as an artist, studying work to understand why the Artist used this colour, or this brushstroke etc.. Visiting galleries/ studios/ art trails are all a place of inspiration.

If you would like to see more of my work in person I will be at the BCAF Bath Contemporary Art Fair on the 13th April.

Mapping the Landscape - Frances Daws