About Tekton X26 / gilt liner
I have a tendency to store myriad mental images of geometries that I spot on excursions away from the studio, that I immediately know I’d like to work with at some point in the future; ideas for form, volume and line that sit in my semi-concious, gestating, until for some inexplicable reason they become foregrounded, and I start working on them.
In the best cases that process leads to a series of studies and drawings that hopefully coalesce into a new edition, or series of works as the drawings are progressed across the coming days and weeks. The underlying geometry for this latest study, Tekton, is one such idea, a set of tiled forms that I think I originally saw in southern Spain a few years back, that I’ve wanted to work on ever since, but with no particular idea of how the form might be transformed into a completed study.
As I started work mapping out the way in which the tessellated blocks might be configured, I realised that I could place an X form at the heart of the study, and spin the image out from there. I wanted to create a fairly rigid underlying set of structures to hang a much looser, almost painterly set of marks and colours on. I hope there’s a lively tension between the grid and the paint. That’s certainly my intention, to juxtapose the looseness of the linework against the rigidity of the structure, creating a certain tension in the final image.
I rather inevitably got carried away with the way the linework could be moulded and twisted over the forms, leading to some rather lovely details across the surface of what will be quite a large new work. I’m envisaging it at maybe 160cm high by 128cm wide, a size I’ve made before with the Arpeggi series, and one that can add real impact to a room. I like the idea that there’s a long view of the underlying form, and a myriad close up views of the over painted lines and colours that ultimately make up the image.
The colour palette on this first study takes on a fairly earthy set of hues, that I think speak to the idea of stratification in rock forms, and the winter landscape, before it becomes cloaked in the verdant greens of spring. It’s a difficult palette to reconcile, and lacks the sugar rush of some of my pieces, but I hope it will reward the viewer over the longer term. Subconciously I think I’m probably channeling the palettes of mid century painters like Peter Lanyon and Roger Hilton, phenomenal painters who seemed to be able to capture something almost primal about the British landscape both with their form and palette. There’s a looseness there that’s also deeply alluring, something to investigate further over the coming months.
Tekton X26 in situ
Price and dimensions
Tekton X26 / gilt liner is a limited edition metallic pigment print on Hahnemühle 340gsm 100% cotton fine art paper; individually signed and editioned with a unique catalogue raisonné number for guaranteed authenticity.
The work can be supplied unframed or framed and ready to hang. I tend to recommend Diasec mounting the work to Plexiglass with a hidden alloy subframe. If you’d like to discuss other framing options to suit your space please do get in touch.
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From an edition of 8, plus 2 APs
Image size ⋅ 160cm H x 128cm W ⋅ 5 panels
Artwork only, ready to frame ⋅ £3,800
Mounted behind Plexiglass and fitted with a hidden subframe ⋅ £5,800
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Dimensions and framing specs can be varied on request, to suit your space.
Please do get in touch here if you’d like to discuss possibilities >
Associated works
