The beauty of imperfection in landscape paintings.
- peter corr
- Jul 30, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 27
As I continue to paint images of the forest, I increasingly perceive forests and trees as a cipher, a form of encoding, representing something beyond their immediate appearance. This particular painting of trees revealed its essence to me after several weeks of alternately applying, layering, and removing pigment.
This approach to painting resembles extrusion or excavation, akin to a sculptor uncovering a figure within a marble block or an archeologist revealing an artifact through meticulous scraping and gouging. The hidden image exists somewhere between construction and deconstruction, encapsulated in time, submerged like coral or lichen, and obscured from view.
There is an ongoing pursuit of patina, the surface qualities that, without careful judgment and discipline, can easily devolve into imitation and kitsch, embodying an overly sweet aesthetic of prettiness.
After a lifetime of painting, I have developed a set of strategies to rescue myself from the aesthetic abyss—those moments when a painting is merely affectation and allure, a siren luring me to the rocks. I strive to resist the easy seduction of color and texture, the comfort of clichéd compositions, and the security of illusionistic space.
The challenge lies in the necessity to relearn this lesson with almost every painting. This seems to encapsulate the essence of painting: it is the incremental achievements that drive the artist forward and encourage a return to the painting process.
If tasked with identifying a major obstacle to creating a successful painting, I would highlight the concepts of control and dexterity. While this may initially appear counterintuitive, let me elaborate. Technique, skill, and control are undoubtedly important attributes in painting, yet if they become the sole determinants of a painting's value, they can stifle its vitality, rendering it airless and confining. The end result often manifests as a kind of claustrophobic predictability. As one's skill increases, the crucial element of chance diminishes; the Japanese refer to this as wabi-sabi, a concept derived from Buddhist philosophy that embraces the imperfections and transient nature of life.
I look forward to seeing you at the art galleries in Cambridgeshire and exhibitions across the UK. If you wish to view my artwork sooner, it is available online. Should you find a piece that interests you and wish to inquire further, please contact me.
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Previous Exhibitions
I am a British artist based in Ely, Cambridgeshire and my work is sought by collectors here in the UK and worldwide. I have exhibited recently at the Battersea Affordable Art Fair, The Babylon Gallery in Ely, The Art in East Anglia Gallery, in Bury St Edmunds, The Darryl Nantais Gallery in Linton, The Michael House Centre and The Locker cafe in Cambridge. I also have collections of my artwork in prestigious office settings in major towns and cities throughout the country.
Materials Used
I work in mixed media, oil, cold wax, acrylic, bitumen and on both medium and large-scale canvases. My techniques involve a range of techniques and processes including, drawing, painting, collage, printing and mixed media applications. My main subject matter is landscape and abstraction and many of my paintings are located somewhere between figurative and non-figurative approaches to image-making.
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