Paradox Paintings

Introduction

The thematic concern of these art works is paradox and our belief structures, specifically looking at the duality of our lives. On the one hand we believe that we can indulge in self-exploration in order to “discover” who we are, and on the other hand, we contend that we construct our own reality and become who we decide we are.

Exploring the dynamics of these two seemingly contradictory notions brings to light many paradoxes which appear in everyday life. It is as though truth comes in oppositional pairs and one has to accept this to exist in the reality of our fragmented modern culture. Reality and fiction have become intermingled to the point where many of us do not know the difference.

I have had a sense of the sublime [while working through this. As Lyotard said: “…the feeling when faced with a work of art ... is a contradictory feeling because it is a feeling of pleasure and displeasure, together.” (1989:10).

The inspiration for this project was the layered images and metaphors that reflect a post-modern sensibility contained in Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses”. Although written in the 80’s, the issues raised are as pertinent now as they were then, especially in view of recent political/historical events such as the bombing of the twin towers and the attack on Afghanistan.

Many of the utterances of the characters in this novel are paradoxical, and I selected six quotes around which to develop the imagery for my six paintings.

Rushdie provoked anger from certain sectors of Muslim society when he transgressed the boundaries between their believed histories and fiction. In these art works I have explored the distinction—or lack thereof—between the reality we see at first glance and that which we see on closer inspection; as well as the realities and fantasies we create both intentionally and without being aware that we are doing so.

My conceptual focus lies in a series of works where past and present ways of looking at the same problems are juxtaposed.

I have mixed the materials of everyday objects with globalist paraphernalia in the picture frames, in order to explore a space in our world: “A space in which there is a play of all these associations, and more… everything we already know and which the image may therefore evoke, whether by intention or not. These intertextual fields are themselves, of course, in constant process of change…” (Burgin, 1986:50). The framing is a metaphor for our so modern selves existing within our belief structures and is inspired by the iconography of earlier religious art. In conjunction with the frames, I have explored the context of past reflections in oil paint as a means of accessing old Romantic notions. In some cases, I have used collage as a time-layering consideration. Not all works have collaged visuals.

The presentation consists of a series of six multiple wall units, dealing with various paradoxical issues.

Click on paintings below for more information. . .

The question is, the manticore continued, “are you going to continue to put up with it? We’re gonna burst out of here before they change us into anything else”.

But how do they do it?” Chamcha asked.

"They describe us,” the other whispered solemnly. “That’s all, they have the power of description and we succumb to the pictures they construct”.

Pliny first referred to the concept of a maniticore in “A History of the World”. A manticore was a made up creature from one’s worst nightmare. In the novel, “Chamcha” , the central character, starts turning into a devil. He grows horns and a tail and is eventually committed to a mental asylum, where he meets the manticore.

This painting explores the process by which we begin to comply with other people’s descriptions of us. Not only do we create our own reality and become what we imagine ourselves to be, but we allow others to contribute to that description of ourselves which we then comply with. The notions of self-fulfilling prophesies and labelling are explored here. This painting also reflects the forbidding atmosphere of the impending Spanish war in Goya’s Colossus.

Fantasy, abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels”

But Hanif wasn’t going anywhere without his say. “I’ve kept my mouth shut for too long” he cried, “you people who call yourself so moral while you make fortunes off the misery of your own race”.

“The Fountain of Life”, a painting by the 16th Century artist Hieronymus Bosch, was used as a starting point to gather eclectic and somewhat paranoiac images for this piece. At first glance, Bosch’s paintings look like typical religious iconography, and one has an initial impression of reverence, but on closer inspection a subtext of unease (or dis-ease) becomes apparent. A painting that appears to depict worship turns out to be a depiction of a less than idealistic reality.

The intention with this work was to examine the moral values—or lack thereof—implicit in globalisation, delving into the way that international corporations operate and the strategies that governments employ to achieve the goals of politicians.

To return to the September 11th context, in the wake of the twin towers bombing, the US government was dropping food parcels into Afghanistan, but whether the aim was to alleviate human suffering or to secure the oil pipelines, is debatable.

…but the mountain was diabolical as well as transcendent, or rather, it’s diabolism and it’s transcendence were one…

From a distance this painting appears to be an ordinary landscape, and it is only on closer inspection that the images in the mountain and the sky become visible. This element of visual surprise is in keeping with our astonishment when we discover that our reality is not necessarily what we thought it was – what constitutes reality is in fact paradoxical. In the same way, what is in our mind may be different to what we expected or different to somebody else’s perspective.

Lyotard suggested that perhaps the human mind is the most complex combination of matter in the universe. “Maybe our task is just that of complexifying the complexity we are in charge of. Perhaps this is a materialist point of view, but only if we see matter not as a substance, but as a series of invisible and ungraspable elements organised by abstract structures. So we can be materialists today and in a sense maybe we must be. But within this horizon, the development of techno sciences induces a slow but profound transformation of our conception of the relationship between man and nature.” (1989:10).

Bits fell off planes every day, or so it seemed. And collisions and near misses were also on the up. So the film was a kind of a lie, because by existing it said: “Observe the lengths we go to for your security – we’ll even make a movie about it, style instead of substance, the image instead of reality.”

In this piece Albrecht Altdorfer’s painting The Battle of Alexander at Issus has been used to create the image of a movie set. The painting was photocopied several times so that images are replicated, and form a pattern. This is a reference to the way in which we conform to patterns in our lives, and throughout the history of humankind, without realising that we do so.

The quote makes reference to how congested we have become and how movies describe our lives for us. There isn’t even much space left in the sky anymore. We have succeeded in making a garbage heap of outer space, where discarded satellites and other pieces of debris are “thrown away”. And yet we are told that this is acceptable and somewhere in the back of minds we believe that this doesn’t concern us.

The painting’s frame consists of pieces of smashed cameras, film, reflective devices and capturing devices in keeping with the cinematic theme. The Mickey Mouse Club emblem is centred in the apex of the frame. Most of us grew up with Disney cartoons and in the element of cartoon there is the notion that we can smash somebody up and he or she will get up again.

I know what I’m worth, darling, I know how the mystery dies the moment they put their willies in…

At first glance, this artwork may seem to be dealing with a feminist/gender issue. Rather, it is a tongue-in-cheek exploration of the paradox in mystery and value.

She had her first fight with Gibreel over this, because he said, in his unvarnished way: “I guess its okay to run from the camera as long as you know they’re chasing after you.”

This is also not a gender-orientated piece, but instead, looks at our agenda. The paradox lies, not in what appears to be the agenda, but rather in an internally motivated agenda - the shadow side of ourselves. Robert Johnson said that paradox has everything to do with our shadow – “…that sublime place of reconciliation until one has owned one’s own shadow and drawn it up to a place of dignity and worth. To own one’s shadow is to prepare for spiritual experience.” (1993:90).

In conclusion, it is both sets of opposites that are to be honoured equally, to find a lacuna where one may view the mystery of duality, as a step to greater understanding of our reality.