My thoughts after the lecture:
I found Tom Palin’s work extremely inspiring. In the past few weeks I have decided to focus on 3 main bodies of work. Figurative studies in a natural setting (larger scale on paper and panels), micro nature studies (more abstract and smaller in scale on Paquet floor blocks) and then some 3D experiments with clay and paper mache. Tom’s blocks made me excited to work on those smaller scale nature studies that I was thinking of and gave me confidence that if I manage to make a lot of them, one could play around with how you arrange them or make them into some kind of installation.
His point about symbolist vs formalist way of thinking about a painting and the way he combines these aspects was interesting. Also ‘a strong sense of the poetic sense of being in a location’ is a phrase I could relate with. I would like to look at Nicolas De Stael’s work that was mentioned. I like the idea of combining abstraction with figuration. I also found the images shown of Ryman’s work beautiful – the whiteness and minimalist approach.
Tom then spoke of how he starts his paintings in an abstract way and referred to the duck-rabbit illusion. How he starts applying paint and then stands back to see what image or shape is revealed. I think that must feel very is very playful and freeing and to start your artwork in this way sets the tone. Definitely something I have done in the past with my own children in art lessons but worth revisiting. Be playful is my take away from this!
He quoted Max Ernst: ‘Never wanted to do anything that would descend into a way of making a living’. Tom said this defined ‘PLAY’ to him and I agree. We need to protect that sense of play by shielding ourselves against taking ourselves too seriously or fearing our creativity or failure to create. Fear is the end of playfulness because if we fear, we don’t feel safe and if we don’t feel safe, we cannot explore, be curious and play.
I love his work and I am inspired!