Patricia Martin Statement

Layering and application are vital elements in my work. Stages are premeditated so that I don't lose track of my intentions however the work may appear to be unstructured. Goals consist of having a well thought out composition and economic colour selection. Application can be spontaneous due to the paint reacting in an unexpected way; household paint is an unpredictable medium. I start with a vision of my painting, as it develops I move from the original idea and absorb the natural interaction of the paint. Application is led from the smaller studies; processes learnt in these further my development.

Ian Davenport allows the paint to work by itself and it finds its own netural position on thecanvas. The key to Davenport's work is the manner of operation. His paintings are precise because he hasmade a way for the paint to speak fro itself. This is a concern of mine; I want the paint to speak for itself as a substance and colour. An evaluation ofDavenports work is that it is based on accidents. Is it a kind of casualness to say that it has happened, so let it be?

I am continually exploring how to create depth by using colour. I place two contrasting colours together, which creates a shift of movement across the surface. From a spectators point of view this then questions what is happening on the surface. when I place two tonal colours together they seem to merge. In Gillian Ayres for example; the placement of colour and its location in relation to the other elements is crucial in how the painting works. The diversity of application in her work draws attention to the paint. I want this physically of paint to be apparent in my work; it sets up movement and allows the surface to shift through pouring, dripping and reworking. Gravity is central to how the paint responds. The physical making of the work is reflected in its reading.

Tensions are created with each piece through contrasting colours creating an uneasy relationship, which raises questions as to the behaviour of the paint on the surface. Tonal colours create a calm effect, as a viewer you might find it easier to approach and involve yourself in an artwork that is quieter within its portrayal. I want to achieve a mixture, of clarity, have areas that bounce off each other but then to have an area that purely calms. The weight of colour is important as one colour becomes more dominant, by the placing of a heavy colour against a very subtle colour, which is a relationship that I am exprtimenting with. Each colour stage engages with the specific, strongly defined formal concerns. As a viewer you are forced to deal with these tensions. Jonathan Lasker speaks about conflicts in his work, how he would place a certain colour in the background and immediately there is a battle of hierarchy between figure and ground, this relationship fascinates me.

Identifting when a painting is complete is an issue. A painting should have a sense of immediacy and freshness and in the past I had a tendency to over work and lose this. I lose the spontaneity and the energy and recognise what lies beneath has been spoilt. I have found that I am able to recognise what lies beneath has been spoilt. I have found that I am able to recognise when a piece is finished by identifying that if I spell it out to perfection it leaves nothing more for the viewer, I want the viewer to formulate their own ideas. Helen Frankenthaler spoke about recognising when a painting is finshed, by identifying a loss of energy and a gaining of truth.