Petal

I’m catching up on some images that I posted to Facebook recently but not on this blog. This vignette drawing is called Petal. The medium is graphite, which for me is the most basic and direct method of expression. Petal is a grotesque. Without over analyzing what was essentially an intuitively drawn piece, my intention was to undermine the viewer’s expectation of beauty by disrupting the form. This is a common strategy in my work. Why? Sometimes our experience of beauty comes at the expense of looking at the deeper reality. We appreciate the painting but do not necessarily consider the toxins in the paint used by the artist, for example. The refinements we often associate with beauty can come at a cost. This is something that I like to constantly remind myself of.

• Richard.