Correspondence - Chapter 2 - Escape
The final painting for Chapter 1 was made on 29 April which brought a conclusion to the chapter of 20 paintings made on the theme of New Beginnings. In the following week I posted the final batches of paintings, and I’m pleased to report that all Left-part paintings sent to the UK and Italy have been received, pending one confirmation.
A few are undelivered so far in Europe, and South Africa - and I imagine the envelope to Australia is being carried on the back of a camel crossing the steppes of Outer Mongolia.
Such is the nature of postal correspondence, the physical package which travels through vast distances. My paintings, and the observations that generated them, are travelling to places unknown. I love this idea.
Below is the painting pair made on 28 April in response to the observation “Beginning the housework tasks that I’ve been putting off.” I was intrigued by the idea of creating mini-portraits of cleaning equipment on shelves, waiting to be used. In fact, it’s the Left part of this painting which is currently travelling to Australia.
One question I am asked is: why is it always the Left part that is posted out? The answer is simple: it is the part that left the studio.
The Right part enters the archive, where it becomes both painting and record. The image below shows the reverse of each Chapter 1 painting, revealing part of the project’s mechanism.
This raises a question I keep returning to: where is the “art” in this work? Is it the collection of painted sides, or the collection of reverse inscriptions? Is it the individual paintings, or the expanding archive?
And if a painted side reveals itself in the archive, what might this tell us?
As the parts accumulate, the project is revealing itself slowly: not as a set of giveaways, but as a structure of witness, painting, posting, archive and receipt.
Once received, the Left part begins another life beyond the studio, in a place I no longer control.
Starting soon: Chapter 2 - Escape
Escape is not only dramatic. It can be small, ordinary, practical, comic, or barely visible: a refusal, a release, a route around something, a habit interrupted, or a boundary crossed.
The first weekly prompt will be sent to all correspondents on Thursday 28 May.
Your response doesn’t need to be grand. A small witnessed moment is enough: something you noticed, something that stayed with you, something that seemed worth holding for a little longer. Each week, submitted observations enter the random selection process for that week’s paintings.
If you were a correspondent in Chapter 1, you are automatically included in Chapter 2.
If you are not already a correspondent and would like to take part in Chapter 2, the button below will take you to the project page, where you can find out how to join in.