 |
| Pennine Farm Rochdale 30x20cm oil on board |
I've been painting this particular group of farm buildings for years on and off. I noticed them the first time when I glanced to pull in front of a lorry looking North whilst driving on the M62. It was a quick glance that left a visual memory that needed to be challenged. As soon as I could I drove over the moor and walked down to the buildings though I couldn't re capture my previous fleeting moment the structure and place of the farm captivated me. I heard or read somewhere from another artist that artists spend their time trying to recapture a moment of interest that was presented to them in their formative years. Visual memory when connected to emotion is very strong. Looking back through my sketch books there is some evidence that this could be true.
For me this moment of memory is connected I think to my relationship when I was young with white farms especially Farms with white Gable ends. This links to Raven Flat Farm, Bell Busk where I enjoyed a few summers haymaking as a kid, as well as a morning cross country run that I did from Brownhills up past Upper and Middle Mickle Hey farms to Heights House and back. All the farms mentioned had a white Gable end at the time. White because the farms had to lime wash their walls in line with public health and animal care. and white because they were visual targets that I had to attain whilst running up and down muddy fields and country lanes. Its this narrative that I need to unpick and its is this that has led me slowly down a road to abstraction.
More of this to come.
Comments
Post a Comment