I have tried to experiment with a wide range of approaches to painting and communicating through the visual language. Initially, I explored possibilities of using the already established process of over-printing a painted surface, which is subsequently blasted off with a water jet. This method was gradually developed and extended further. Additionally, I became more interested in the size of my work and started painting on smaller pieces of unstretched canvas. My creative intention was to differentiate between micro and macro environments and consider the pieces in terms of their size, scale and impact.
This is significant in terms of the quality and energy of mark, which I am able to achieve. The image ‘handling’ process is also diametrically different. The smaller size of canvas makes the blasting process much more dramatic and devastating. It is also less precise in terms of the amount of control I have over the tool and its power.
Some of the images below, were almost totally washed off by the jet of water. However, the brush marks were much more powerful and distinct; making the entire composition more abstract and almost unrecognisable. The pictorial content was fully covered and the underneath layers of paint were totally invisible.
My images have started to become very fragile. I had to use the process of digital scanning in order to recover some visual aspects of them and save important details from being erased and permanently lost.
Perhaps, the next stage of my experimentation will include working on lighter colour backgrounds, thinner fabrics and using materials, which are much more delicate and fragile to enhance the possibility of happy accidents and increase the imperoding process of blasting.
When working on upstretched fabrics, I can also consider using bleach, Vanish and other chemicals. I will replace the water jet with a washing machine.
This should give me a completely new and alternative path as a direction for my experimentation.
There are some images of the new process:
HYPNOTIC REPETITION 