My studio practice has evolved since my installation piece Inane? I am now working on a more abstract area. Focusing less on figurative and more about colour emotion, and the spontaneity of action painting. Trying to convey emotions and ideas through the simple way of how I have marked my canvas. I have also being doing collaborative work with a fellow student and artist Jade Hutchinson. The usual way it works is Jade will do the background of the painting, and I will apply the marks over the top. (fig 9) This artwork and how I have applied the marks differ from the boxes, this was all done with acrylic paints, Jade starts by mixing acrylic paint with water in a water bottle and pouring the bass colour on, then she applies multiple layers on top of that then lets its drip and dry. After the initial paint has dried I then apply my paint by squirting the acrylic straight from the tube onto my hand and proceeding to throw the paint onto the canvas.
Figure 9 Jade Hutchinson & Leon Watson Untitled (2015)
This work is a lot inspired more by artists like Jackson Pollock than pretty much anything I have ever done, it obviously isn’t an attempt to mimic the likes of Pollock, but it was a fun and exciting way to further my practice and experiment with different ways to apply paint. We didn’t just do work on paper like in figure 9 and 10, we worked on other materials like metal also (fig 11) This is a found object art piece which we had a side each to make out own.
Figure 10 Jade Hutchinson & Leon Watson Untitled (2015)
Figure 11 Jade Hutchinson & Leon Watson Untitled Metal (2015)
The sides shown in the picture are both sides I did, the smaller one we both applied paint too, and the large face was all mine. This was the first time I worked on metal, also the first time I used the technique of physical throwing the paint from my hand onto the canvas. This is the start of the newer series of work I have produced. After trying out painting on metal, I decided I enjoyed it, and liked how it looked. I decided to find a scrap piece of metal and start something solo. (fig 12)
Figure 12 Leon Watson Untitled (2015)
This was done the same way I did the paper paintings; it was interesting to see how the surface effected how different materials lay. Firstly I applied ink and it reacted the way you would expect, most of it just rolled off as did the watered down paint. But the acrylic stayed on extremely well. After a while of doing these style of paintings I decided to look into Jackson Pollock some more. Looking at techniques he had used to see if it would give me any inspiration. “A close look reveals an assortment of objects embedded in the surface, including cigarette butts, nails, thumbtacks, buttons, coins, and a key.” (moma.org – Abstract Expressionist New york) this gave me the idea to start using assorted bits of debris found around where I am doing my art. and place them onto my canvas. Sometimes I will take the object off and see how or if it had left the area under. Other times I would just leave the item I had placed on, covered in paint just to add another dimension and layer to my painting. The future plans I have for the artwork I fabricate not even I know yet, but I think I am going to delve into some video and performance art, similar to how Metzger performed the Acid Action Painting, I Believe that the most exciting part of my artwork is the creation of it, not knowing where the paint will land on the canvas and the mystery of the pre finished product all the way through. If I capture this on video, I will be able to share the excitement of the journey that is art, with everyone watching.
Figure 13 Jackson Pollock Performance
Jackson Pollock also performed while creating his large-scale art pieces. He shows his techniques of “drip painting” and how he puts his emotions into his artwork. (fig 13)
“The method of painting is the natural growth out of a need. I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement…. I can control the flow of paint: there is no accident, just as there is no beginning and no end.” – Jackson Pollock
In conclusion, my studio practice, though not directly in every aspect, but most certainly inspired in some sense by a mixture of very different artists. Though I believe I definitely have my own style and techniques of creating art, as do many artists, but saying that, every artists takes something or various amounts of ideas from other artists.
“Good artists copy, great artists steal” – Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973)
This was my favourite piece in the Gallery. Hysteron Proteron. To me it is like a dystopian superstructure, a world where people live in poverty and fight for survival. but that’s most definitly my overactive imagination playing a big part in that…
peaceisbetterthanwatson 