A Productive Weekend in the Studio
Last weekend was productive, and I was pleased with several of the new works. These four sheets continue my exploration of abstraction through Chinese painting and calligraphy.
Chinese Painting and Calligraphy as a Foundation
In the wide composition, red forms interrupt the darker sweeps of the brush. White paper separates some passages and opens small channels through others. The principles I draw from Chinese painting remain a foundation, even when no recognisable subject appears.
The vertical red-and-black work gathers its marks more closely. Long strokes and irregular edges give the forms weight, while the pale gaps keep them from becoming one solid block.
Abstraction, Colour and Expression
Some works take a playful or provocative approach. The gold-coloured Chinese text on the sheet above reads, in English: “If you are looking for a deeper meaning in this painting, you are looking in the wrong place.” The words are part of the image, but they also tease the wish to explain it.
The final pink sheet is the work I was especially pleased with: powerful in expression, sensitive in colour and exciting in its construction—at least, that is how I see it myself.
Broad strokes remain visible through the softer pink areas. At their edges, black and blue-grey passages break into small, uneven patterns. The image can be followed as a movement of the brush before it needs to become anything else.
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Original works are available on FriedrichZettl.com and Saatchi Art
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