Simon English
b. 1956, Ireland
Untitled Scenes from a Journey is an open-ended series of small-format paintings that places the viewer as an observer of a succession of scenes or events that lack clarity and are ambiguous. The raised viewpoint and the uncertain scale of the objects suggest the settings are transitory and illusory. The buildings standing alone, or a car or airplane arriving or departing the scene has no implied narrative or proposal to make, but acts as a site of contemplation for the viewer to dwell on. These sites are in a state of transience or decline. However, there is warmth and consolation inherent in the atmosphere, but it is elusive, and the time frame in which the events occur is indeterminate. These ambiguous elements cause an existential remoteness to be suggested, allowing the viewer freedom to traverse these new landscapes, negotiating the uncertain terrain guided by the works’ ambiguities and their own parameters and judgments.
(Text: e v+ a – matters catalogue, 2010)
Back to Artists