Story of the Vortex Spin
'Elements :VE', light-reactive media on plexiglass, total of 160 x 160cm in 4 separate (80 x 80cm) pieces to make a single art piece, artwork photo taken under UV light
Vortex Spin breakthrough
The vortex spin series came about through a breakthrough moment during the darkest of my days during the start of the pandemic in 2020. Having lost my larger studio at the Citywest carpark, now known as the Secure Carpark. I had to regroup and convert my home into a home-studio during the start of this pandemic. I was compelled to find ways to deliver paint media differently from my usual ways and add unique motions, including a new 'spiralling energy' in the paintings. Whilst trying a number of ways to throw, flick, and spin the paint, I hit a critical moment where I realized that all the classic spin paintings created by Damien Hirst and others had one thing in common: it was that the canvas and/or support was the object rotating, not the paint media. This created a very distinctive signature in the artwork. But what would happen if you spin the paint? I realized that Damien Hirst used 'Spin Art Machines' to impart huge amounts of rotational energy and inertia to the paint, these generated energies were far more powerful than anything that was created by the human body, that’s why the energy lines were so crisp and clear, albeit mechanical, but beautiful in their own way.
The merging of man and machine
With all this in mind and inspired by rising contemporary artists who use unorthodox devices to deliver paint in interesting and effective ways. I started experimenting with different machines to get the desired motion and energy, which would accelerate the paintwork and create unique rotational motifs. These devices allowed a changing centre of rotation since they could easily be transported while they were spinning. This new technique, I felt, added more of the artist’s hand directly into the artworks, whereby it would be possible to manipulate the motions, i.e. the ‘sweeps’, arcs, and twisting ribbons of paint. The 'Vortex Spin' artwork was born.
Below are pictured a few pieces in the technique that show how varied the motifs can be.
*Artwork, left to right; 'Eye of Ra (sold), 'Traveller' (sold), 'Incandescence' (sold)
New Vortex Spins in the studio
Post-'Be One With .❤' I have had time to rest and regroup for my new series of artworks that will begin 2022 with a blast. This new series will be completely devoted to the vortex spin technique and open up new directions in this style. In the studio, with so much paint being spun around, it is bound to get a bit dirty. Sometimes the paint does not fall on the plexiglass, and depending on the launch speeds the paint can miss the plexiglass and continue beyond the confines of the painting, making for some pretty impressive motifs on the drip mats. The floor inadvertently becomes a work of art! This is an unfolding journey, with many exciting discoveries around the corner, and one that I am proud to share with you.
Above are a few glimpses into my studio environment as so much paint is spun it leaves beautiful ghost paintings on my drip floor as well as in the paintings themselves which are pictured laid out on the floor, they are ready for the next layer to become the new masterworks.
To see my bank of recent vortex spin artworks and other styles go check out the link below