art project questioning reoccurrence and ritual as a distraction to the uncertainties of tomorrow
Author: pavszymanskiart
Current research issue - Hypnotic Repetition
Pav Szymanski
Painter
Biography:
I am a fine art painter and video artist with 30 years of experience. My current research project is based on creating visual responses to my observations of people, who are suspended in the vacuum of hypnotic repetition. I have travelled the world interviewing and recording individuals, who genuinely struggle with their existence in the context of their survival. I have gathered substantial primary sources and evidence from destinations across the globe. Perhaps, the most significant research findings were from Haiti and Myanmar and resulted in the production of the most spectacular paintings. They have inspired me to develop new and innovative ways of working and experimenting with image making, which are appropriate to the subject. They combine the best of traditional achievements and the power of contemporary thinking and deep reflection.
I work full time as a programme coordinator for Art & Design at a large institution offering a broad range of FE and HE qualifications. I am also an external examiner for the UAL and AQA.
Artist Statement:
Through my projects I feel that I discover my inner fears, longings and re-evaluate my uncertainties. My work seems to be an attempt to explore and question by metaphorical presentation my response to the hidden truths of the world. The essence of the value of these works is in their inherent meaning and an atmosphere, which manifests itself in the dusk of the space portrayed, thus the light may appear, where the hue of colour fulfils clarity and sounds with harmonious melody.
https://hypnoticrepetition.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOq7lHQlrOnKozGz95Hq2CA?view_as=subscriber
https://www.instagram.com/pavszymanski/?hl=en
https://spark.adobe.com/page/fQ9VytzHNpWq9/
I am really excited about some recent developments in terms of my painting practice. I have worked on my recent canvas with a great range of colour layers and washes. The glazing of the underpainting, which is in turn blasted off with a jet of water, creates a sensation of unusual depth to the work.
i am hoping to achieve a greater complexity of the surface quality. I am also experimenting with a juxtaposition of hyper realistic portrayal and random and accidental marks created by the jet of water. However, this process is more than just a mere accident. I am also slowly learning how to control the nozzle of the pressure washer in order to achieve an effect, which i particularly desire.
In technical terms, I have also extended on my typical use of brushes and started to include working with sponges and cloth.
I have spend most of the day experimenting with the established process of continuously over-printing and blasting the newly applied colour layer away with a strong jet of water.
While documenting the work progress, I have started to alternate the use of video material and photography of relevant stages and refinements.
The screen developed for this image is based on pomegranate. This fruit is a national symbol of Azerbaijan. It is also associated with wealth and prosperity. Most Azeris regard pomegranate as a culturally and historically established object of desire.
i particularly like the ambiguity of the composition of pomegranate seeds. The screen is mysterious and non-descriptive. This lack of exactness and visual identity make it more uncertain and, perhaps even nervous,
My creative intentions were to make images, which are more ambiguous and undefined by avoiding using realistic colours. I have experienced a lot of trouble trying to photograph these paintings. I had to bounce the light of a screen to avoids unnecessary reflections and other visual disturbances. The idea was also to reject the use of Photoshop as a tool for enhancing images. I wanted to get photographs, which are untouched and unchanged – a la prima.
What is really important to me is the use of accidents, which are wholly unpredictable. It is also about visualising anxiety and uncertainty of “things going wrong” and simply destroying my own work before giving it a chance to appear and develop. I am fascinated by the layers of paint and ink, and the accidental tears breaking up on the surface. Punhane has started to develop references to images of Madonna, or perhaps, coffin portraiture and paintings executed in encaustic..
The next stage will be to leave this piece to dry and than, prime its surface with diluted PVA in order to be able to restart the entire process again.
Since designing a skeleton of the first draft, I have immersed myself in reading on the discovery by Heisenberg. This new knowledge has allowed me to extend on the line of questioning in my writing.
I am currently on a train to Belfast. I am using this time constructively by exploring the following paper by Russell, which I find very inspirational.
“Our Knowledge of the External World as a Field for Scientific Method in Philosophy”
By Bertrand Russell
I will update this post with scans of my further notes and corrections, as soon as I get a chance to scan them and upload onto my blog. I feel much more positive about this research undertaking and feel, that the learning from my current research will substantially influence my practice and the development of further images, especially the new versions of Punhane Means Secret and Beautiful Stranger.
I have finally started on a long planned experimentation with an image of an English girl. Hopefully, this will allow me to differentiate between my foreign inspirations in juxtaposition to a local character.
My creative intention is to continue with the painterly process before overprinting this canvas with a screen with a composition made using silhouettes of PornStar cocktails.
As previously, the interwoven blasting procedure should loosen the image and introduce meaningful drippings of great significance to the uncertain character of my work. The blasting and its uncertainty contradicts the premeditated and preplanned content of the work.
I have immersed myself in reading and exploring the Uncertainty Principle by Heisenberg. I have also tried to support my thinking by looking at Russell and his Theory of Knowledge, Hume and Kant.
The focus of my work is to critically analyse two pieces of art, which question the idea of uncertainty: How It Is by Balka and Barca Nostra by Buchel.
Having reconsidered my entry, I made a decision to shorten the video piece. My creative intention was to heighten the level of impact and improve the process of visual communication.
I have manipulated the video to alter its format. Most of the experimentation was undertaken with Adobe Premiere Pro CC2018 to achieve two main objectives:
make the video shorter (under 60 seconds) in order to be able to share it on Instagram.
the second, more important goal was to remove some of the unnecessary content, which has diluted and clouded the key message in the voice recording.
Additionally, I utilised a range of transitions and other editing effects in order to make the overall piece more holistic and cohesive. The other quality improvement was to alter the tonation of the video footage. My creative intention was to make it much warmer and introduce a sensation of ageing. This echoes the greatest fear of Punhane – she is terrified of getting old.
My final proposal has just been shared online and I am nervously awaiting commentary.
The painting itself will be revisited and developed further next week. I am in the process of thinking the progress through, while trying to refine the idea and enhance painterly qualities of the piece. I have just developed a new screen with an image of a cross section of a pomegranate. I took this image at a market in Baku. This is the official national symbol of Azerbaijan. It was also Punhane’s favourite fruit. I will be using the highly decorative and organised pattern of seeds while overprinting the piece with a range of layers, starting with vibrant crimsons and moving through the colour spectrum towards deep blues, while printing with Prussian Blue based colours.
I am moderating in Northern Ireland next week, but the plan is to take my work to the second stage of blasting it with a water jet.
My creative intention is to use the voice recording below to contextualise the piece, which I am currently trying to develop and refine. There is a degree of hesitance, which is apparent throughout the talk. The essence of what Punhane is trying to truly communicate is contained in the last sentence, as follows:
“I am a bit worried about being alone and getting old…”
I have started with the painterly process, while preparing an under painting for a new piece. The inspiration has come from my experiences in Azerbaijan, especially in the capital Called Baku.
The image below is of a young Azeri girl, who was my guide around the “Land of Fire”. We have spent a fair amount of time together, while exploring the local culture and became friends.
On the last day of my visit, I managed to interview Punhane. She gradually opened up and revealed her secrets to me. She was very nervous and hesitant. I recorded her short monologue, which appraises her uncertainties and anxieties.
I questioned the concept of happiness. This somehow upset her. She abruptly responded – “I have already told you – at the end”.
Ultimately, the recording will accompany and support the digitised version of a more refined version of this work.
HYPNOTIC REPETITION 