Gold Enamel, Gravity and the Fenland Landscape

Using gravity and motion as his tools, Jackson Pollock developed a unique style of dynamic, expressive, and innovative art. He worked on large canvases laid on the floor of his studio, utilising brushes and cans to pour and drip household and enamel paint. His creations resembled a dance — a performance that captured kinetic energy and action. Pollock was a key figure in American abstract expressionism, a groundbreaking twentieth-century movement that rejected representation and illusion, focusing instead on exploring the physical properties of paint intuitively and spontaneously.

'Veiled River' Oil, Cold wax, Enamel on Canvas

The Fenlands as Subject

The Fenlands of Cambridgeshire are a blend of water and earth, where rivers and dykes sculpt the terrain. There is no illusion or deception here — just the essence of nature and human intervention. At the core of this area, Wicken Fen is a place filled with wonder and mystery, where water softly meanders through tall reeds and bulrushes. Once submerged by the sea, the Fenlands stand as a testament to human creativity and resilience, moulded and altered over generations. This painting captures the fragile and captivating beauty of this transient world, as it anticipates the sea's inevitable return.

'Veiled River' Detail

Process: Pouring, Dripping and Chance

My paintings often result from a diverse journey, with their creation sometimes spanning months or even years. I do not follow a strict blueprint or plan; instead, I embrace the surprises and changes that arise along the way. The technique of pouring and dripping paint embodies this adventurous mindset. While I cannot control everything, I value the dynamism and spontaneity of the process. Many contemporary artists use layers to add depth and texture, relying partly on chance to discover new possibilities and effects. However, it is essential to know how and when to intervene with care and judgement — random events alone are not enough to create a resolved painting.

'Veiled River' Detail

Gold as a Material

Gold has been used in art for millennia — from Byzantine icons to the gilded grounds of medieval altarpieces. Its reflective quality gives it a particular presence in relation to light: it does not simply reflect but seems to hold and transform what falls upon it. In the context of a Fenland landscape, where the quality of light is one of the defining characteristics of the terrain, gold enamel introduces a material resonance that goes beyond decoration. It becomes part of the landscape's logic — a surface that responds to the shifting light of the flat, open sky.

'Veiled River' Detail