The beginning of 2022 was an existentially daunting time with doom and gloom becoming a commonality of everyone’s daily menu when reading the news or hearing the latest tragedy to occur around the world. This inspired a dystopic, neo-punk aesthetic in my work that was informed by some of the new sources I had been delving into at the time.
Books such as ‘Capitalist Realism’ by Mark Fischer and ‘Caliban and the Witch’ by Silvia Federici invigorated my anti-capitalist political theories, and others like ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, ‘Perfume’ by Patrick Suskind, and ‘The Colour Purple’ by Alice Walker influenced the darker, more psychological aspects of my work. Other interests such as punk rock and television show ‘Cowboy Bepop’, influenced my attitude, providing new waves of inspiration.
In search of imagery, I studied books, ‘Revolutionary Tides: Political Poster Art of 1917-1944’ by Jeffery Schnapp and ‘Pictograms, Icons & Signs’ by Ryan Abdullah and Roger Hubner. This first book mentioned expresses the way in which art can still be beautiful even when what it expresses is horrific, revealing a peculiar aspect I had not considered. The second gave me access to the iconography of the modern world, in which we are completely surrounded and I was keen on representing. Artist’s who inspired me were Ralph Steadman, Rene Magritte, Georgia O’keeffe, Georges Rouault, and artists from the Lenbachhaus.
In the books I studied I was especially drawn to simple images. Perhaps because they required less effort to replicate, or because I intended on practicing different skills instead of representation, such as illusion, typical in a Magritte painting. Although, when I did find the motivation to paint with more focus I mixed the complex with the simple to create balance. Ralph Steadman and Georges Rouault taught me that the effectiveness of expression is dependent on will rather than execution, a philosophy I employed fervently.
I maintained my strict regime of drawing before painting, using paper as a medium of capturing the basic form of an idea. Sticking them to the walls of my studio meant I was always surrounded by potential imagery, reducing the stress of coming up with something on the spot. I had started to use charcoal in this period, it being a material I primarily used for drawings, however it had now become constant in my repertoire, mainly because it captures the crooked, nightmarish essence that I was trying to project. I enjoyed the easy application and smoky, faded effect it produces.
Overall, this period of time was productive and taught me how to maintain a fruitful practice whilst also allowing myself time to recuperate and avoid burning out.
Tom Allwinton Art 