I am intrigued by the names of the vessels I kayak past and their reflections. Who gave them their name? Why did they choose the name? What is the back story? What does the name mean to the owner? The artwork I make out of the photos of the vessel's name is disconnected from those questions. Yet the words on the water convey a visual and literal meaning that stands alone. "Stay Calm" captured the current moment for me civilization finds itself in resulting from the pandemic. Perhaps we could say up the creek without a paddle.
The Making of Stay Calm
Related Posts
Kandinsky’s Follies — Finding Music in the Water
Kandinsky’s Follies began simply enough: a close-up photograph of a reflection on the surface of the water. The colours came from a vessel, but the water had taken possession of them. Blue, yellow, white, black and gold had been stretched and twisted into fluid forms that seemed to dance across the surface. I knew there was something in the image, but for some time I couldn't find its name.
Learn more
Blue Mood: Putting the Senses Back in Order
Can water change the quality of our attention? Introducing Blue Mood, a visual summary of connection, restoration, and those rare moments when our senses finally return to order.
Learn more
Light Consciousness - A Psychedelic Travellers Journey by Roger Foley Fogg
I am delighted to be quoted in Roger Foley’s wonderful new book, Light Consciousness - A Psychedelic Travellers Journey which charts his career as one of Australia’s leading lighting designers. Roger began designing rock concerts and psychedelic light shows in the 1960s. His experimental work—including his lumino-kinetic Light Sculpture—continued through the 1970s and anticipated many of today’s multimedia installations and immersive experiences. Roger asked me to contribute my thoughts on abstract art and its creation after reading an earlier reflection on abstraction in my Art Journal. His book is an extraordinary record of the beginnings of an art form that has now become widely recognised and fashionable: the multimedia experience. A PDF copy of Roger’s book can be downloaded below. [Download Roger Foley’s book]
Learn more