Collection of Short Stories (ink on paper)

Collection of Short Stories
ink on paper
45 x 29.5cm

click to enlarge

This new drawing is an addition to the 'Interiors' division of my new Interiors/Exteriors (working title) series; investigating space indoors and outdoors, man-made vs nature, a sense of competitiveness; not sure at this time. Despite the meticulous mark-making this new work 'Collection of Short Stories' portrays a minimal still-life set-up that assumes the property and environment of a supposed owner; the presentation of the books illustrating the organisational habits of this unseen party. The liberty in providing this much detail provides the context to these 'Interior' works that are less subject to nature and have been purposely arranged to retain this composition for a period of time, thus providing the amount of time to sit night after night under artificial light and carefully render these objects with selected detail in a virtually undisturbed environment.

Artwork belonging to the 'Exteriors' division, being far more exposed to the elements and subject to nature's daily cycle (even just in terms of light) are much more fleeting, gestural and likely sketched as a foundation on paper for a final work or derived from brief studies made on the go.

Jim S

Three new landscapes by Jim Shirlaw (click to enlarge)

17.01.12
acrylic on paper
66 x 47.5 cm

29.12.11
acrylic on paper
69.5 x 43 cm

07.12.11 ('in that doorway' -g. reaper)
acrylic on paper
75 x 55 cm

Since being back home from overseas (new home/new studio) i've endeavored with my new found time to properly kick off some new directions with painting that i've been plotting for the last twelve months. These works tie in with the Interiors/Exteriors focus for the next little while, that whilst in a completely different style to their bright red acrylic/pastel cousins tie into the same movement at the moment to explore an abundance about nature and then a restrained, governed man-made environment with the Interiors.

In these early works the focus clashes between the man-made world (suited for Interiors) and the more expansive landscape gestures, the monochromatic use applies to the urban setting. Whilst first putting these ideas and divided aesthetics into play these works serve as initial studies borrowing from both sides of the Interiors/Exteriors investigation. As early work these paintings are pleasing enough.

Much much more to come,


- Jim S

Occult Circuit (previously untitled)

I
work in progress: the Coffs Harbour commission

II
work in progress: as above (study)

III
today's trip to the shops: Sphinx

IV
today's voltage control

Occult Circuit (previously untitled)

at the moment

I know it's impossible to read in the entry above, but the Mind Map at the top of the first entry illustrates how this new body of work (Occult Circuit) will be split between 'Studio Practice' (SP) and 'Performance and Installation' (PI) further more the SP will then be split between paintings/drawings of 'interiors' and 'exteriors'. The two environments consisting of the SP will be executed quite differently from one another and will investigate a divided outlook into the spiritual impressions that human action/expression instill in an environment, that we (as people there after) come to associate with the atmosphere of a given place; in terms of presenting ghosts and poltergeists etc there will be some crossover with Occult phenomenon especially when addressing the 'interior' works in the series.

The two images above (I & II) show the early stages of two 'exterior' works. Formulated with oil pastel drawing over a hot red ground, these two images show the initial results of the ground which also roughly describes the detail in the work in preparation for the oil pastel drawing on top.

Jim S