IT DON'T MEAN A THING, by Atom Gallery on Jun 9, 2024 19:11:57 GMT 1,
Exhibition at Atom Gallery Jun22-Jul13 opening party on Friday 21st June

It dont mean a thing... no it dont, unless you want it to, and then it can mean anything you like. Things dont have to mean anything, a piece of instrumental music is allowed to exist happily without being interrogated about its meaning. When asked what his paintings meant Picasso replied, ‘You tell me.’ 



'Bird calls' framed size approx 72x52cm

I started painting on the reverse of failed screenprints, I had plenty of them and on decent paper too. Jazz seemed the perfect soundtrack. Perhaps playing what the abstract expressionists might have been listening to would inspire me. Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, Miles Davies, Cannonball Adderley became my companions in the garage as I tried to control the accidents that I was encouraging to happen in my haphazard process. This was about the importance of experimemtation as well as having fun.


'Bread basket' framed size approx 72 x 52 cm

I want these paintings to look effortless, accidental but also I want the marks to look like they could
never have been anywhere else on the paper. I want parts of them to look like they have been made
by a machine, the visually intriguing byproduct of another process. I dont want them to look pretty,
I want them to be more difficult than that. I want them to be more noticeable than that, disliked maybe
but please not just nice.



'Giant steps' framed size approx 102 x 72cm

Exhibition at Atom Gallery Jun22-Jul13 opening party on Friday 21st June

It dont mean a thing... no it dont, unless you want it to, and then it can mean anything you like. Things dont have to mean anything, a piece of instrumental music is allowed to exist happily without being interrogated about its meaning. When asked what his paintings meant Picasso replied, ‘You tell me.’ 



'Bird calls' framed size approx 72x52cm

I started painting on the reverse of failed screenprints, I had plenty of them and on decent paper too. Jazz seemed the perfect soundtrack. Perhaps playing what the abstract expressionists might have been listening to would inspire me. Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, Miles Davies, Cannonball Adderley became my companions in the garage as I tried to control the accidents that I was encouraging to happen in my haphazard process. This was about the importance of experimemtation as well as having fun.


'Bread basket' framed size approx 72 x 52 cm

I want these paintings to look effortless, accidental but also I want the marks to look like they could
never have been anywhere else on the paper. I want parts of them to look like they have been made
by a machine, the visually intriguing byproduct of another process. I dont want them to look pretty,
I want them to be more difficult than that. I want them to be more noticeable than that, disliked maybe
but please not just nice.



'Giant steps' framed size approx 102 x 72cm