Shadow Forms - Making “Nothing” Visible
By Simon Allen
Wildness is elusive. It can be found in the spaces between things, in emptiness, in the wind, or in the energy of a wave. It is chaotic and undefinable, its presence is felt intuitively, rather than being able to be grasped or seen like a tangible object. In this wild force there is a freedom and a beauty. Simultaneously it makes me aware of the forces which shape the natural world, while at the same time I am completely at one with them. Present. To quote Jackson Pollock, “I am nature”.
In these recent works I am creating a space where the relationship between gesture and forms can be explored. Where the line is a result of the meeting of two forms, and where shadows have the same visual weight as solid form.
It is very important to me that the work as an object takes on an active role, that it physically changes with the shifting light, or the angle at which it is viewed. I am seeking a sense of balance between a transitory, mutable experience, and the physical presence of the object.