Paul Stone |
The common thread for my still life subject matter is their everyday, almost unremarkable presence in our lives. In the last 12 months my work has found a fresh perspective that has helped focus my engagement with the subject and encourages a continued search for the essence of perfect form and composition.
With a background in art history, I have a passionate admiration for many artists, specifically those who have come to directly influence my work: Pieter Claesz, Chardin and William Nicholson stand out amongst others. Although there is an intentional realism to my paintings, its important for me that they clearly display the process of painting – although brushstrokes are on occasion difficult to see, close up there is no photorealism illusion to deceive the audience. Any broader brushwork or serendipitous moments on the canvas help the work retain its unique painterly qualities.
My still life paintings are exploring the relationship between objects and what gives them their vital presence. I’m interested in objective reality, so I see my work as shifting people’s focus (as well as mine) from the reality of things to the reality of the painted surface.
Almost all of my works now depict scenes and objects gathered from within a mile of my studio. Visiting the local butcher, florist, baker, Charity shop, etc, I realised that I am surrounded by a richness of familiar and nostalgic content, resulting in a more intimate relationship in their representation.
Looking at my work as a formalist, I would assess that the value of a painting must lie in the viewer’s visual experience of it, and hopefully an enchantment of the subject as it appears in the outside world.