The How and Why Wonder Painting of Love

'The How and Why Wonder Painting of Love' borrows its title from the marvellous series of illustrated children’s science books published in the 1960s and 1970s. Outdone only in the scope of ambition by ‘Enquire within upon everything’. In this painting an unlaboured image of a white dinosaur shape appears suspended by some grey utilitarian device as if undertaking guided travel through a sub aquatic plant-scape. In the background a mustard yellow plane is broken by a sketchy ‘starry night’ window view. The tail of the creature breaks out of the first inner scraped frame, but is neatly cropped off by an outer burgundy frame. The style is depictive, loose and playful and is assured in its unadulterated immediacy of placed paint. This work is delightful and decidedly free from bubbling under angst. Viewed collectively the composite parts of this painting manage to catalyse something curiously impactful for me, including bemused references to Darwin, pre-history, love, the Universe, the indexical mark and the limitations of visual pedagogy. Not bad at all for a 30x40cm painting.

2020

oil on linen

30.0 x 40.0cm

039

Image © John Wyatt-Clarke
Text © Tom Hackett for a-n