Original artwork description:

‘AGHARTA - Maiysha’ is an acrylic painting 24.5cms x 19.5cms on canvas paper. It is presented in a white card mount 30x26cms . It is part of a series of four studies which take their inspiration from modern and contemporary jazz. In this case, the ‘Agharta’ series relate directly to a live music concert by Miles Davis. Agharta's title was proposed as a reference to the subterranean utopian city. This particular concert performance brought together the elements of electric ‘fusion’ jazz. The concert recording was considered by many to have no compositional base. The seven musicians worked against a dense background of ‘riffs’ which encouraged extended improvisations controlled by Miles’ hand and head gestures. ‘Agharta – Maiysha’ has similar characteristics. It is compulsive and heavily improvised. There is no intended structure, just an idea driven by incident, accident, gesture and cancellation. In this respect every brushstroke, every smear, every drag , every splash is instinctive. The paintings were made against a sound background of Agharta concert. I am continually inspired by modern and contemporary artists who demonstrate such a love for colour and light. John Hoyland, Barbara Rae, Elizabeth Frankenthaler, the Fauvists and the COBRA group continue to be so important to me. Music has had a profound impression on the structure of the painting. I listen to music whenever I work and in the making of this painting I have listened closely to Miles Davis fusion work. The boundaries of what can be managed in a painting present a constant challenge to me and through a process of layering, cancellation and improvisation my intention is always to test such boundaries.

Materials used:

acrylic paint and dyes on 230 gm canvas paper