Artists Statement
Although I'd been involved in various creative ventures, I only started painting a couple of years ago, at the age of 43. I'm largely self-taught but am currently studying for a fine arts degree at Hastings College of Arts and Technology.
My personal experiences and emotions are the main source for my paintings. I am influenced far more by what goes on in my head and my life, than by the landscapes and objects around me.
An underlying thought that runs through much of my work is cause and affect: how our actions, or even lack of action, influences change.
Other sources of inspiration include music, in particular songwriters like Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy. Ultimately I'd like my paintings to evoke emotions in people in the way that music can evoke emotions in me. Artistic influences include Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee who were interested in the interpretation of music, and Egon Schiele whose work I very much admire.
I have recently discovered the work of James Hugonin and although our paintings are very different I relate to his way of working, with self imposed rules and a grid to work to, the idea of evolution, liberation and intuition may seem contradictory but they some how go hand in hand.
My work is usually process driven. It i s constructed from components that make up the whole. I often employ some kind of grid to break up the surface of the canvas into more manageable sections. This may sound like a rigid approach but as each fragment is put into place it is evaluated and responded to, and this is the way the painting evolves. This way of working has developed because of my dyslexia, taking things one step at a time is my ‘coping’ strategy, like breaking words down into syllables and then reassembling them.
My intent is for my paintings to be alluring and draw the eye in, but also to be slightly disturbing in a subtle, rather than a shocking way and to cause the viewer to ask questions of them. I like to use colour and symbolism to suggest thoughts and emotions (some more easily read than others) to achieve this end.
Contact details
Tel: 01323 833890
E-mail: info@paullucasarts.co.uk