Translates as “life in the grey city”
This work is from 2010. A friend recently observed that work from this time has a more chaotic, turbulent feel than many of my more recent pieces where the elements are contained and tamed within structures and ruled lines.
As is habitual, this work contains various pieces of detritus from my life at the time. The cover of a demo tape from one of my former bands, Serpentine Smile, is obliterated in the top left corner. The dripped on ruins of the ‘bongo cafe’ from a friend’s fanzine nestles along the lower edge.
John Macormac 
I think it’s fantastically chaotic and full of energy, like any big city.
Thanks very much Soonie2, I’m glad you find it energetic- I’m definitely interested in communicating a sense of movement.
Thanks very much, I definitely want my work to communicate energy.
Your friend seems to have a point: this work seems mired in its location, which I don’t feel in your other work (at least as far as possible online) — although, considering the title, “mired” is probably an appropriate response. It certainly feels like a grey city.
Yes I’d say ‘mired’ is an appropriate word. I’m interested in what communicates this sense of place to you in a way that other pieces do not. Is it the imagery or the density of the surface perhaps? Thank you for your insight Luddyslens.
I think it must be the density. To me, the lightness of your more recently-posted images give a feeling of movement or curiosity and often both; this one feels grounded in its place, and I think it’s probably because it’s darker and sort of “packed tight”.
that’s a very thought provoking and I’d say accurate reading. I find it takes a degree of hindsight to understand why certain work was made at a specific time.
I’m glad that our paths of crossed. I am spending this time of winter blues exploring color & the impact that certain colors make. I have enjoyed looking through your artwork & seeing how the colors you’ve used interact on the canvas.
Thanks very much Carrie, I’m glad our paths have crossed too. I’m trying to learn more about colour these days, how they compliment eachother and make eachother ‘sing.’
A terrific piece, fully charged!
Thanks Elena, I like that description!
John this piece is fantastic. So mysterious with the black. It has so much movement. Wonderful.
Thank you very much Brian. I made a series of work on black card a couple of years ago, I enjoy how every colour stands out more than on paler surfaces.
There’s so much in this. The longer I look at it the more I see in it.
Thank you Diane, It’s heartening that you find depth in the work.