XGen / TWO / initial colour studies
Hello,
Hope this finds you well and enjoying the New Year. I'm keeping my head down here, and getting on quietly, which suits me well!
I like January, there’s a crispness to the air and the light, and of course, it’s always good to be inside out of the cold, working in the gloaming. I guess part of the joy is that I don’t feel as though I’m missing out on very much when I’m in the studio at this time of year!
I’ve started work on a new series, the second of my XGen studies, that are exploring, and riffing on, the energy contained within a simple X form. These latest versions have taken on a few lessons from the Stellify 4 folded works I sent out in December. In particular the idea of using colour blocks, or more specifically multiple coloured areas within a single study, as opposed to toning the whole image as a single more sculptural piece. It’s an idea that gives a far more geometric feel to the final images, and maybe more punch?
As I was working through a number of ideas for sculpting the first model for the series, I realised that there was the possibility of creating some quite lively ‘under paintings’ which would be more 2d than the main works, but hopefully could still have some real interest. I’m particularly keen to study the way the colour blocks are moving in an almost painterly way, with a lot of edge interest. There’s a lot of technique required to make that happen, as you can imagine, the system needs a lot of pushing to loosen up this much!
I feel there’s something of Sean Scully’s colour paint blocks here, I’m drawn to his works, but with a slight scepticism too. I tend to feel there’s something a little suspect about that bravura level of underworking, but really I think I’m just envious of his raw confidence with the mark making!
I also like the idea that there’s a fairly rigid underlying geometry being overlaid by something far more haphazard, almost random even. In fact, there is a partially hidden mirrored symmetry to it all, which makes for a slightly Rorschach feel. So be it!
I’ve drawn four different geometries so far, which will be rendered over the coming days, so these first two colour takes on the initial studies are really just a first look at the series. I imagine the best of them may well end up editioned as works on paper, perhaps on the metallic Hahnemühle. I’m certainly keen to test them out on a variety of papers to see how they work best.
I’ll look forward to posting more updates on the latest images soon, and perhaps one of these studies will form the basis for a new Print Club edition. Not sure yet. If you have a view on that, do let me know, it’s always good to hear from you…
More soon...
With best regards,
Chuck Elliott
If you’d like to receive four exclusive new editions in the post each year, alongside personal news and views from the studio, and invitations to shows and fairs, please do consider becoming a member of my Experimental Print Club. You can join or leave the club at any time, with absolutely no obligation to stay any longer than you want to.
Four new works are sent out, somewhat sporadically, throughout the year, often in line with the changing seasons. Each piece is unique, exclusive, and only available on the day it’s editioned, the size of the edition being determined by the number of members on the day.
I hope the club presents a more personal and intriguing way to connect with the studio, by creating a platform for collecting engaging new works for your home. The club is hosted online here, and I send out fairly regular blog posts and emails about the work too. I’d like to think that it’s an interesting proposition!
Membership is priced at £30 per month inc. UK delivery, or £35 for an international address.
