Artist's statement

“Words are Bullies…
Words hurt.
Words are all over the place.
They get shoved in my face.
I don't know why but words make me cry.”

(Brian Patten)

A personal interest in dyslexia and the effects it can have on an individual have led me to explore the use of words within my work. The paintings are also concerned with relationships, and associations that may exist between colour and language.

Influences have come from a range of artists.  In particular Jane Harris because of her use of colour and utilization of brush strokes in creating illusions.  David Reed has also been important, due to his reference to light and calligraphic forms.

The specific words used within the paintings have been chosen because they trigger disorientation in some people. Whilst the work is composed in series of three or four pieces, they are individual paintings that exist in their own right. Their sizes vary from small to very large and are not related to the expected length of the words they contain.

MDF board is primed with coats of Thixotropic, to provide a very smooth surface.  Layers of oil and glaze are then applied. The colours chosen are of a similar tone with the aim of heightening feelings of uncertainty. A squeegee is used to write a specific word into the paint and also expose the boards white surface.

My intention is for the viewer to read each piece individually and try to reconstruct them as part of a sentence.  During an exhibition it is possible to interchange some of the pieces so that they are not locked into a given sentence, in order to maximize the possibilities of disorientation and confusion.
   
© 2010-15 Alison Armitage

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