STIRRING THE DARK CHASM

Stirring the Dark Chasm Gouache and watercolour on paper 56 x 76 cm 017

Fiery environments have featured in a few of my recent paintings. Here in Stirring the Dark Chasm a swarm of weaponised drones seem to be engulfed by flames of their own making. But, are they flames erupting from bomb sites where destruction has ensued? Or, have the flames been released from some kind of abyss? Maybe both! 

But look closely, trees-of-life are also emerging from the flames, or is it an abyss? The trees are escaping the heat as they trail their branches across the cosmic sky. Safe passage for life and humanity, perhaps.

There is always hope!

COSMIC LANDSCAPE - DRONESCAPE

This is another of my cosmic landscapes. It is also a dronescape. The cosmic perspective enables the viewer to distance themselves in ways that may trigger new ways of looking at things. The viewer could be looking up at a sky, witnessing a battle taking place above a landscape. Maybe it's a battle of machine against machine at some stage in the future? Or, the viewer could be looking down onto the drones and their fiery bedevilment. In this case, the viewer maybe looking upon a landscape, where an abyss has opened with intent to consume unmanned forces. Skyscape/landscape!

As in many of my dronescapes and cosmic landscapes the viewer can, using imagination, fly around in my paintings. When I was a child I flew! Please check out my painting and post When I Was A Child I Dreamt I Could Fly

And, what are the metaphoric possibilities? Are accelerating developments in drone technology taking humanity on a high speed path to oblivion? Or, are increasingly autonomous systems offering us freedom, security, fulfillment? Or, are we replacing existing problems with a set of new ones ultimately even more difficult to resolve?  The abyss... is of course...metaphoric. But, the trees-of-life do offer hope.

Cheers,

Kathryn

UNTETHERED LANDSCAPE

 

Untethered Landscape Oil on linen 50 x 50 cm

UNTETHER: release or free from a tether: [Oxford Dictionary]

Regular readers will know that I have previously written about my thoughts on untethering notions of l'andscape' from being Earth bound. Probably my most succinct description of this was the short statement I wrote for the Australian art blog/site The Art Life's New Work Friday:

I am interested in untethering notions of landscape from being Earth-bound. In an age where modern cosmological research is revealing more of the vast and intimate distances of the universe, new perspectives become apparent. Exciting postulations that we may live in a multiverse also propel ideas of perspective, both literal and metaphoric, into other realms where the ability to ‘see’ multi perspectives, even simultaneously, is possible and demanded. In my recent paintings I continue my visual exploration of close and far distances, and perspective in deliberately ambiguous ‘landscapes’ which are both familiar and not.

A couple of 'untethering landscape' previous posts are:
UNTETHERING LANDSCAPE REVOLUTIONARY
TO GROK LANDSCAPE

So to my painting
Untethered Landscape above.

Untethered Landscape is both playful and serious. I was inspired by another of my recent paintings called Hope [below]. Hope is a much larger painting. In a sense it takes on a more serious tone, especially because I imagined a post-apocalyptic time, where Earthly landscape was shattered and scattered, thus suggesting a forced and dramatic untethering and separation, ultimately demanding new perspectives. But all is not lost...hence the title Hope! I previously wrote:

In the painting I have nine remnants of 'landscape', with one obviously issuing forth new life. Yes, my tree...the tree-of-life, the tree-of-knowledge lives on in a post apocalyptic 'landscape'! With life and knowledge there is hope...and with hope there is life and knowledge.

Hope Oil on linen 80 x 140 cm

 

In Untethered Landscape I have painted what seems like one remnant of landscape floating in space. As in Hope, a single tree, my much loved age-old transcultural/religious tree-of-life, offers hope...of life... of course! The whimsically painted blue balls linked by ribbon-like lines suggest an act of freeing...of untethering...like a balloon let go.  

 

Whilst a literal scattering of landscape can be imagined, I am more interested in releasing/untethering notions of what 'landscape' is, from Earth bound horizons, to fully grasp the new perspectives offered by cosmological research and discovery. In freeing ourselves to imagine and experience new perspectives we can truly begin to vision and understand cosmic ones. By doing so we may view ourselves differently, we may see new ways of dealing with pressing global issues...we may fully grasp that Earth is our home, and the Universe is our environment.

 

Of course Untethered Landscape may also be an image of something or someone leaving 'landscape'. The blue balls could be some kind of space ship, weaving its way across the sky into unknown horizons. Or, again it could be a metaphor, for a change in humanity's perspective...and notions of what 'landscape' is.

 

Love ambiguity!

 

COSMIC ADDRESS

My next exhibition:

15-10-13 to 27-10-13 at Graydon Gallery, Brisbane.

I am really excited about this show. Shall keep you posted!

 

Cheers,

Kathryn

www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com

HOPE

Hope Oil on linen 80 x 140 cm

 

So...I was thinking about hope.

 

Regular readers will know I have written about hope before [links below].  I again have been thinking about hope, for a number of reasons, but also in reference to my last painting and post Are We There Yet? The question implies a future destination, whether it be a literal place or a state of being. Is there hope implied in the question too? The more excited we are about a destination, the more likely we are to ask, especially repeatedly... 'Are we there yet?'... don't you think? If the destination is not a good one, then the question implies the hope that we don't get there!

 

I was going to call this painting Hope Springs Eternal, from Alexander Pope's long Essay On Man It is a short phrase from Epistle 1. In the end I decided on deceptively simple Hope

 

Hope humbly, then; with trembling pinions soar;
Wait the great teacher Death; and God adore.
What future bliss, He gives not thee to know,
But gives that hope to be thy blessing now.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast:
Man never is, but always to be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confined from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

 

I think Pope's poetry implies a future, even if it is death. But, that death is not the end of the soul...'life'...so Hope springs eternal...

 

APOCALYPSE?

As regular readers know, I sometimes think about apocalyptic futures: the demise of humanity and/or the planet at the hands of aberrant individuals or groups, or by 'natural' means such as wayward meteors slamming into Earth, or the 'natural' death of the sun and Earth's slow destruction.

 

I know, I know...all of this does not sound too hopeful!

 

But,

 

Out of the gloom hope raises its new shoots. For instance, hope drives much of science and philosophy...otherwise why would scientists and philosophers continue to ask questions? They hope for answers...and then...even more questions. Hope lives, even in the face of apocalypse! Hope is part of human complexity, and it is this complexity that gives hope for the future. 

 

UNIVERSE

Pope wrote the first Epistle of the Essay On Man in the context Of the Nature and State of Man, with respect to the Universe. In the 18th century humankind's understanding of the Universe was different to the understanding we have now. Yet, through the arts humanity attempts to vision its current understanding at the same time as posing questions...similarly to scientists and philosophers.

 

 He, who through vast immensity can pierce,
See worlds on worlds compose one universe,
Observe how system into system runs,
What other planets circle other suns,
What varied being peoples every star,

 

So, where does my painting Hope fit into all of this?

 

HOPE

When I imagined this painting I wanted a kind of post-apocalyptic 'landscape', as if remnants of Earth have been scattered across the galaxy. I wanted to suggest that these remnants could be metaphoric 'landscapes' of the human soul and imagination.

 

In the painting I have nine remnants of 'landscape', with one obviously issuing forth new life. Yes, my tree...the tree-of-life, the tree-of-knowledge lives on in a post apocalyptic 'landscape'! With life and knowledge there is hope...and with hope there is life and knowledge.

 

The 'landscape' remnant from which the tree erupts, is painted in slighty different colours compared with the other remnants. Its predominantly blue colour was chosen on purpose, to represent water a symbol of the subconscious, I imagine, more closely linked to soul. Water is also the 'blood' of life, the nurturer of growth, the essence of body. A few of the other 'landscape' remnants have glimpses of green, a colour that teases us with the potential for life, growth and renewal. Maybe, on these remnants, there are small shoots of life [trees] too small for us to see...yet? Hope!

 

I also liked the idea of 'landscape' remnants, because it helps untether concepts of landscape from being Earth bound, forcing new literal and metaphoric perspectives which, in turn, give rise to new 'landscapes'. I've previously written about some of my untethering landscape ideas.

 

Below is a photo of one of my initial sketches for Hope. Just thought you might like to see my very cursory sketch. I often do these kind of quick sketches to help my mind's eye take control of  the paint brush. My children's old and unused school pads come in handy.

 

Sketch for Hope

 

 

OTHER 'HOPE' POSTS

Beauty Give Hope A Chance

Beauty Has No Antonymn

Questions 

Hope In The Distance

 

 

NEWS

• The Art News is a dynamic website featuring an array of article, reviews and news about visual art in Australia. Each Friday they have what's called 'New Work Friday' and three of my recent paintings were selected for last Friday's 'New Work'. Check 'New Work Friday' out by clicking HERE

• COSMIC ADDRESS is the title for my next exhibition 15-10-13 to 27-10-13 at Graydon Gallery, Brisbane. I am really excited about this show. Shall keep you posted!

 

Cheers,

Kathryn

www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com

BEYOND THE DARK NIGHT

 Beyond The Dark Night Of The Soul Oil on linen 100 x 100 cm 2009

 

 

I deliberately put the word beyond in the title of Beyond The Dark Night Of The Soul [above] to indicate that even though a journey into the 'dark night of the soul' is something most people will experience, at some stage in their lives, there is a place beyond the suffering. I am fully aware that for some people, as if tortured on a Catherine Wheel, the 'dark night' persists or returns consistently. This must be dreadful. However, I know that the vicious cycle can be broken and that a place beyond is possible to find. As I said in my previous post about this painting, The word 'beyond' in the title clearly gives the message that this painting is not just a warm and fuzzy, feel-good image, because 'the dark night of the soul' as something that has been experienced but overcome, thus exists in absentia.

So, to the title of this post Beyond The Dark Night. By suggesting a beyond, suffering has not been simply ignored or avoided, thus left nagging incessently in the background like a small child wanting attention or a Catherine Wheel audibly creeking. It has been experienced and acknowledged leaving a trace, a memory. However, I like to think that a word like beyond means that the tumultuous tenticles of suffering cannot reach into the psyche dragging dreams, hopes, esteem and more back into that dark, dark place. No, suffering has not been alleviated, but its strength to hold on tightly, is diminished.

I have uploaded some more paintings where the dark night and suffering spoke or whispered to me. But I like to think I went beyond the grip of wallowing, sympathy seeking and fear. I must add here, that the dark night and suffering were not the only 'voices' in conversation with me! Maybe a place of beyond enables one to reach back voluntarily, to harvest wisdom, re-affirm intuition. The place beyond  is where hope exists... and hope is galvanising and political. A place beyond, out of the darkness, means one have the potential to 'see' with eyeball and pupil, as well as the mind's eye, all close and far distances, horizons and perspectives. There is a pathos in this all-seeing ability, which keeps us human, not strangled.

Hope In The Distance Oil on linen 80 x 120 2010

 Halo Oil on linen 82 x 183 2009

 

I have included Halo because whilst it rejoices in the beauty of planet Earth and its atmospheric halo, the painting 'came' to me when I was thinking about my cousin Bill [aka: Fred] From who died whilst descending Mt Everest in a blizzard. This happened 9 October 1984. He turned 28 that month.What is interesting is that I was compelled to paint Halo in October 2009. I had not realised it was the 25th anniversary of Bill's death until I googled to see if there was much about the expedition, lead by Sir Edmund Hillary's son, Peter Hillary.

 

Bill had just completed his PhD in Ionospheric Physics and had won a scholarship to one of the Max Planck Institutes in Germany.

 

 

Blood Connection Oil on linen 80 x 140 cm 2010

Blood Connection ,using my much loved age-old transcultural/religious tree-of-life symbol, is a painting reminding us that during war, blood literally seeps into the earth. It has done so for eons... unfortunately. Upon burial or casting ashes, the body-our bodies- return to the Earth connecting us forever, returning us to the stars.

 

Planet $ [below] is another 'map' like painting, similar to Blood Connection. I have, however, painted the planet with small $ signs. This painting, I believe, puts into perspective the quantification and commoditisation of resources, an incessently global activity. It also speaks of the suffering wrought by the Global Financial Crisis. This suffering is reaching out to us from 2007/8, keeping us tethered to fear. In my previous post for Planet $ I wrote, So, the painting of our planet, which I am calling '$', has a few underlying themes. The obvious one is the plundering of resources to feed our insatiable desire/need for energy, and all the paraphenalia that is manifested as a result. The other is more subtle. It is the restriction of imagination in ways which we do not notice, via the media, education and technology. The frightening thing is that all three are entwined.

 

Imagination can untether us from fear. We need to stir and utilise our imaginations, releasing the grip cast by media and its constant reminder of suffering, its pithiness and gossip seeking tendencies. It could be seen as a battle between imagination and the monsters created by those without. As I wrote in my previous post, I am reminded of JK Rowling's [author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series] excellent Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association, when she said, ' I think the wilfully unimaginative see more monsters. They are often more afraid.' http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/06/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination

 

I believe imagination provides the light to places beyond. Please see Becoming The Light, below Planet $

 

 Planet $ Oil on linen 30 x 30 cm 2011

 

 Becoming The Light Oil on linen 160 x 120 cm 2011

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Kathryn

www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com

FAITH

 Shared Destinies Oil on linen 120 x 160 cm 2007

I have previously written, on this BLOG, that I have faith in complexity; the kind of complexity which reveals itself as a deep and infinite pool where the ripples of time and life perpetually reveal secrets in the ebb and flow of questioning, wonder, imagination and discovery. However, the kind of complexity some humans create, pours oil over the waters of time and life, obscuring revelation, and neutering wonder and imagination.  It does not nurture life's universal forces or open us to fulsome understanding and appreciation. It pales into dangerous simplicity when compared with the universal complexity of all life forces. Humankind's 'complexity' is illusory as it distracts and detracts.

The recent riots currently experienced around the world, plus the intent of the creators of the anti Islam film which lit the flames of violence, are examples of some of humankind's drive to obscure the wonders and joys of life. I believe, for the majority of people, no matter what their beliefs are, there is no desire to light, and keep fuelling the flames of violence, disrespect, hate and negativity. Yet, we find the world transfixed, angry, incredulous, fearful and anxious in the face of recent happenings which draw us toward the flames, gathering us into the divisionist intent. Compassion erodes and this erosion may well be the ultimate aim?

Compassion Oil on linen 100 x 100 cm 2010

Shared History Oil n linen 80 x 120 cm 2006

 

The three paintings Shared Destinies [top], Shared History [above] and Histories [below] all 'speak' about the shared human existence: we all share the planet and call it 'home', signs of life ie: heart beat and breath are common, we share age-old stories and symbols, and we all share an urge for identity. Societal identity is manifested in culture and religion, where focusing on outward differences conceals the underlying common urge. Unfortunately, this focus and ultimate concealment fans the flames of humakind's illusory and dengerous 'complexity'.

 

The three paintings all use the age-old transcultural/religious tree-of-life symbol as a visual guide to explore ideas of shared history. In all the paintings the tree-of-life connects beyond the human experience, touching the sky and igniting the heavens, connecting us to all of life and its beautiful complexity. I use the word 'beautiful' deliberately because, as regular readers will know, I don't believe beauty has an antonymn. Therefore, the divisionism of the kind created by humankind's illusion is not a problem. Please check out my previous posts BEAUTY GIVES HOPE A CHANCE

and BEAUTY-HAS NO ANTONYM

 

Histories  Oil on linen 80 x 200 cm 2005 

 Mountains and Metaphors Oil on linen 2005

 

 

Mountains and Metaphors is a painting which 'speaks' about overcoming adversity. The mountain is a metaphor for adversity, which upon ascent reveals new horizons and perspectives, giving fuel for optimism and hope.

 

The world currently has an enormous 'mountain' to ascend. At the foothills, in the shadow of the mountain, greed, hate, anger, fear, prejudice, judgement and a plethora of other human frailties grip our ankles, maintaining a myopia and giving rise to violent tackle.

 

Yet if we can twist our ankles, forcing myopia's grip to release, we can ascend the mountain. At the summit all horizons, literal and metaphoric, are revealed; those behind, in front, below and above. Optimism and hope are given a chance, a breath of fresh air. At the summit of the metaphoric mountain humankind's place within the universe can be seen, as myopic sight is untangled to reveal Galactic Horizons and Beyond. The opportunity to see all perspectives, even simultaneously, is exciting. I am optimistic...yet optimism is a choice. Please check out my previous post on optimism MYOPTIMISM

 

The summit of the mountain gives us an opportunity to 'see' and 'feel' a universal pulse, the rhythm that dances in unison with our hearts. This pulse is eternal, even if humankind is not.

 

The summit of the mountain gives a chance to breath freely, to 'see' and 'feel' the breath of eternity, its rhythmic inhale and exhale in unison with our own breathing. Eternity's Breath is lent to us for humankind's duration.

 

The summit of the mountain reveals what true complexity is. It is beautiful. It holds the secrets to life, awaiting perpetual revelation. It is not simple, simplistic or didactic about what is right or wrong. It stimulates questions, wonder and imagination. It is where light shines and where compassion uncovers humankind's illusions of difference to reveal common and shared traits within the human race and the universal rhythm of life. 

 

Have faith in complexity!

 

 

 Earth's Pulse oil on linen 80 x 200 2006

Please check out HERE and HERE

 Infinity Oil on linen 100 x 70cm 2011

 

 Galactic Horizons and Beyond Oil on linen 90 x 150 cm 2012

Eternity's Breath oil on linen 90 x 150 cm 2012

 

Cheers Kathryn

www.kathrynbrimblecombe-fox.com