Benjamin Woollcott contemporary artist
Why do abstract painting? Because representational images limit the painting to a single space, time, and emotion. That’s just not enough when trying to depict the complex architecture of experiences, emotions, and opinions that make up a person. Instead, I reduce painting to line, form, and color so that I can then use it as a visual language with which to investigate myself, those around me, and our relationship to each other.
When I go into a painting, I have very little idea about what I’m doing. I’ll focus only on a specific memory or emotion and let my mind go blank to everything else. It’s only when I step back, look, and think about what I’ve drawn that I can truly see what’s been developing. I try to expand my initial feeling by letting the character of the work come through. The painting has a life of its own; I just try to help discover it.
The act of painting is a constant exchange between the canvas and the painter. If I don’t lose contact, there is pure harmony, and the painting comes out well. It’s when I’m too far removed from that initial feeling that contact is lost and the identity of the painting is forgotten.
My goal with my paintings is to create something viewers can connect with, but how they connect is entirely up to them.