The India Suite

Painted Canvas Collages. 2012

The India Suite consists of sixteen 60 x 48 inch acrylic canvases, mounted on plywood wood backed stretchers, and a number of smaller accompanying works, seven 30 x 40; eleven 24 x 20; ten 14 x 11; and twenty five 8 x 6 inch miniatures.

These works were completed following my first trip to Northern, Central and Southern India in the Spring of 2012. They are inspired by my experience and the colours and textures of India.

I did not try to illustrate of what I had seen, but rather I allowed those experiences to infuse my work by the choices of colours, textures and compositions I made. I allowed myself to re-experience, the sense of what characterized the intense experiences, I had of India.

These works are made by collaging cut sections of pre-painted canvas, following which the remaining bands are masked and poured flat in situ, using the crazed drawing, which is my signature way of painting since 1982. Final adjustments are made on the wall by painting in or out the formations until a visual tension is achieved.

All my abstract work is informed by ‘natural’ experiences.

I make work inspired by travel and life experiences and express these through drawing, colour and surface, in works that hopefully contain innate character of those experiences. All art is representative in some way, in that all elements and forms carry associations. Just as there is no art without content, be it called ‘abstract’ or not. I however find, that in art, not visually arrived at its content will be lacking. I need my art to be resolved and unified to be art and its ‘formal elements’ energized to speak with visual intensity.

“I want my art to speak pictorially”. While it is interesting to know how I came to make these works, and my titles may hopefully stir the imagination, it is in the viewing of these works that holds what they have to say. They may not be understood, in literal terms, but they may be experienced visually.

The Suite of sixteen 60 x 48 canvases is to remain together and will not sold separately.

The accompanying works are individually available for sale. Enquiries and pricing requests to peacock @ shawbiz.ca

For a more in depth introduction to my painted canvas collages go to the Retrospective Painted Canvas Collages page.

This painting, Dawn over Delhi from the India Suite, is 60 x 48 inches.