Tracking 2007

92 x 126cm

Acrylic on Birch Ply

This painting is one of a series inspired by movement in an architectural setting.

The shape of the room is represented by a flat shape of grey set into a rectangular white panel. The indentations and projections of grey relate to windows, doors and other permanent architectural features. The room itself is my studio, and the tracks are the pattern of movement made while painting the work.

The characteristic actions are my steps backward and forward from the wall to a central point. These are punctuated by pauses and directional changes. The tracks are a series of drilled holes, whose diameter and regularity relate to the frequency and importance of the action. The deliberate character of the drilled holes contrasts with the meandering nature of the tracks. Some holes are so small that they are only just discernable.

Colour and dynamics are central to this work. The incomplete white border is made of three separate sections, each with its own identity. They are static and fixed, holding the main grey shape still. In contrast to this, the holes spread through the grey panel in complex swerving patterns.