My Form of Art

I frequently make use of geometric forms to create art, from the humble pixel to geometric structures that I alter to encompass a wider range of futuristic abstract/abstract-fied forms. Often, my work is animated as this enables me to create fifth-dimensional vistas that cannot exist within our four-dimensional world (I consider time to be the fourth dimension).

My leanings are towards hard edges and solid, minimalist areas of color where static pieces are concerned, but frequently glitch-esq where movement is present, as this enables the creation of visual anomalies. Where I feel it’s desirable, I will code a particular series of works as generative, but that’s generally dependant on if I feel a series will benefit from randomization that procedural code allows for.

Imagined other-world iconography/art as a symbolic visual language is also a theme I find myself drawn to. Having said that, there are times I just like to return to doing illustrative forms of work; it really just depends on what is required for the overall series that I have in mind.

Subject Matter & Purpose

The style of my work has developed from the early years of moving through various mediums such as, watercolors, ink, Gouache and oils, with figurative, landscape and illustrative subject matter.

Over time, I found I leaned stylistically towards hard, geometric edges with solid areas of colour. The medium most suitable for this (before my digital work) was acrylic on canvas. In the majority of cases with my abstract work, I make use of black outlining. This is influenced by Chinese and Japanese art as well as other ancient culture’s art, whereby outlining was commonly used.

Overall in my abstract work, I’m striving to create structures that are visually striking with a certain stylistic never-before-seen iconography present. Be it futuristic, alien, or otherworldly.

The composition of my work in view of the abstract pieces takes into account the importance of void spaces and large areas of solid color that give definition to the form. I often make use of intersecting black areas/outlining so as to create subjective differences in visuals that are dependant on the viewer, and how/where they are focusing their attention at that moment in time.

Evolution of a Series

First and foremost, the concept for a series is the beginning point, but not an already fixed idea of a particular style or the use of one type of software. If only a particular style or favourite piece of software is desired to be achieved/used, then in my opinion it’s an unnecessary limitation from the get-go. My view of software, code & hardware et al. is utilitarian, and something that just serves the initial concept.

Before creating a particular series, I will usually go through many forms until I reach a point where a developed look/style is then present, and only then begin the series. Over a number of works though, the forms can develop in their own way; and in that case I often make a conscious choice to allow this rather than to stifle it. The idea isn’t to necessarily keep the style fixed once the series has begun in view of abstract pieces, but rather to allow for a potential evolution across the series itself, if it occurs.

Influences Real, Forgotten and Imagined

Below is an attempt to recall visual influences from childhood onwards. It of course will never be complete, as although some are conscious influences, others were only realized in later years when I found certain elements making an appearances in my work; or at other times when people pointed them out to me…

Artist Influences:

Wassily Kandinsky, Bridget Riley, Piet Mondrian, Escher, Charles Rennie Makintosh, Hokusai, Roy Lichtenstein, Hergé

Art Movement & Visual Influences:

Abstract, Art Deco, De Stijl, Bauhaus, Opart, Ukiyo.E, Suprematism, Chinese concepts of minimalism/art, mesoamerican art, Hieroglyphs, Synthwave, Futurism

Other:

Quantum Mechanics, Daoist philosophy, experimental film, Geometry, symmetry / asymmetry