The Colour of a Window.
Michael Gibson Gallery (2021).

As the dad of a 3-year-old, I am witness to the growth of my toddler and how he observes and learns about the world around him. This growth occurs through his asking an infinite number of questions about letters, numbers, shapes, and colour (among many other things). One recent question was “what colour is the window?” It’s a legitimate one given that it is an object in his observable and experiential world, and a question where the word “clear” would be the most obvious and simple answer to satisfy his innate sense of curiosity. For myself, observing the world through the eyes of a painter, the word “clear” seems to be inadequate in both its linguistic and visual terms. What colour IS the window?

This body of work is a continuation of past works in which I observe objects with fluctuating and fleeting optical scenarios and translate them using the materiality of paint. I’ve always been interested in the spatial overlay that occurs when looking out from a window at nighttime while the interior lights are turned on. The darkness of the exterior landscape and the illumination of the interior space creates a perceptual phenomenon where we are simultaneously aware of the depth beyond the window, the reflection behind the window, and the surface of the window itself. In short, these paintings explore surface, depth, light, and colour. They are also located within a broader conceptual framework of observation and growth, the commonplace and time.

The project is generously supported by the London Arts Council's Professional Artists Community Arts Investment Program.