I employ a dry powdered compound to make shallow relief drawings that I am able to fix.  Many of these drawings become paintings by being priming over and painted over.

 

My working method is a turbulent and revelatory collaboration with these materials, both aided and hampered by indeterminacy.  On occasion some disarmingly simple procedures elicit an apparent chaotic maelstrom, creating a morphogenesis of highly complex imagery in the blink of an eye. While there must be a physical intention for a new work to start, I mentally manoeuvre myself to let go and allow the qualities and the behaviours of the powdered and fluid materials, to have a ‘voice’ – to enable serendipitous occurrences. 

 

Most of my studio tools, instruments and techniques have been designed and made to serve my specific studio practice. These include multi-paint guns, squeegees, combs, small robotic drawing machines, powder fixing devises and viscosity measuring instruments. Often, surprisingly, what emerges onto the panel has significant references to my current intellectual research and physical activities derived from reading, being in the landscape and visiting galleries.   Over the years cosmology, landscapes, geology, birth, war, exuberant plant growth, pollution and refugees lost at sea, amongst many others, have influenced the paintings and drawings.  It has taken many years to come to understand that I am striving to understand the interface between the conscious and sub-conscious working of the mind and how the latter is immensely powerful if only we can find ways to employ it. 

​

Out of the studio since retiring from lecturing and moving from London in 2016, I have been keen to connect with other artists in the South West.  I joined the Wells Art Contemporary team in 2017 and initially helped with the hanging of the shows in the Bishop’s Palace, and over three years ran forums to encourage the public to articulate their responses to the works. When we moved into the Cathedral I suggested that installations could occupy the whole building and grounds. I managed the applications, allocated, devised and implemented their installation, culminating in 27 exhibiting artists in 2021. In 2023 - Talk on studio practice to the Bath Society of Artists at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution and also to the staff, students and parents of the King Edward’s School in Bath.

​

Geoff Dunlop is near completion in producing a book CHAOS AND ORDER concerning my practice.