I stopped painting in 1996. I’d reached an impasse. A ‘Black Square’ shaped Malevich conundrum. I didn’t stop being an artist - just channeled my creativity into different directions - graphic design, photography and film, playing music, writing and recording songs, DJ-ing. Amongst other things. In 2023, after a 27 year gap, it was time to revisit making paintings. Unresolved and unfinished business. In these recent works I have been continuing to develop a visual language that includes references to recorded music, braille, ancient proto-writing symbols, maritime flag codes, morse code, astronomy, algorhythms - abstract communication systems over geometric colour fields, often using neon tonal clashes for optical effect. The paintings should work on their own terms - as a purely visual experience - but here I have included the braille translations, codes and inspirations to help add to the understanding of the concepts behind them.
All work is for sale (unless marked•). Prices on request.
'Storm Warning' 2024 56x56cm Acrylic/Black 4.0 on canvas
A black square on a red background is the US maritime storm warning flag for storms with winds from 48-63 knots
And God said unto Noah
the end of all flesh is come before me
for the earth is filled with violence
through them and behold
I will destroy them with the earth
Genesis 6: 11-13
'Hurricane' 2024 63x30.5cm Acrylic/Black 4.0 on canvas
Two US maritime storm warning flags used together signify storms with winds above 63 knots.
Bob Dylan's 'Hurricane' was released as a 7" single in 1975. The song was split over both sides of the single.
Side 1: here comes the story of the hurricane
the man the authorities came to blame
for somethin that he never done
put in a prison cell
but one time he coulda been the
champion of the world
Side 2: How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fools hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn’t help but make me feel
ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game
'WTF' 2024 30.5x95cm Neon acrylic on canvas
The maritime International Code of Signals uses flag hoists to communicate between vessels.
These are the flags for W (whiskey), T (tango) and F (foxtrot)
Who the fuck - why the fuck - where the fuck - when the fuck- what the fuck
'DIG' 2024 30.5x95cm Neon acrylic/Lit on canvas
The maritime International Code of Signals uses flag hoists to communicate between vessels.
These are the flags for D (delta), I (indigo) and G (golf)
Top: Budger of history Brake of time - You Bomb Toy of universe - Grandest of all snatched sky
I cannot hate you - Do I hate the mischievous thunderbolt the jawbone of an ass
The bumpy club of One Million BC - the mace the flail the axe
Catapult Da Vinci tomahawk Cochise flintlock Kidd dagger Rathbone
Ah and the sad desparate gun of Verlaine
Pushkin Dillinger Bogart
And hath not St Michael a burning sword
St George a lance David a sling
Bomb you are as cruel as man makes you
and you're no crueller than cancer
From BOMB by Gregory Corso, 1959
Middle: There was nowhere to go but everywhere - so just keep rolling under the stars
From 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac, 1957
(Star alignment: Laredo, Mexico. 17.05.1950 1.46am)
Bottom: I saw the best minds of my generation
destroyed by madness starving hysterical naked
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix
angel headed hipsters burning for the ancient
heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night
who poverty and tatters and hollow eyed and high
sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold water flats
floating across the tops of cities
contemplating jazz
Opening lines of HOWL by Allen Ginsberg 1954-5
'DIG' & 'WTF' under UV black light
'Natural Mystic' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic on canvas
Theres a natural mystic blowing through the air
if you listen carefully now you will hear
this could be the first trumpet - might as well be the last
many more will have to suffer - many more will have to die
don't ask me why - I wont tell no lie
From 'Natural Mystic' by Bob Marley & The Wailers 1977
'Love Is Blind' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic on canvas
Here catch this casket - it is worth the pains
I am glad tis night - you do not look on me
For I am much ashamed of my exchange
But love is blind
and lovers cannot see the pretty follies
that themselves commit
For if they could Cupid himself would blush
To see me thus transformed to a boy
From 'The Merchant Of Venice' by William Shakespeare
'Two Sevens Clash' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic on canvas
My good old prophet Marcus Garvey prophesize say
St Jago de la Vega and Kingston is gonna meet
And I can see with mine own eyes
Its only a housing scheme that divide
What a liv on bamba yay when the Two Sevens clash
Look up a cotton tree out by Ferry police station
How beautiful it used to be
And it has been destroyed by lightning
Earthquake and thunder I say
What a liv on bamba yay when the Two Sevens clash
From 'Two Sevens Clash' by Culture 1977
'Two Sevens Clash', 'Love Is Blind' & 'Natural Mystic' under UV black light
'Ways Of Seeing' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic on canvas
Seeing comes before words
The more imaginative the work, the more profoundly it allows us to share the artist’s experience of the visible
All creation is in the art of seeing
Perspective makes the eye the centre of the visible world
Everything became exchangeable because everything became a commodity
The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe
That is mystification
Quotes from 'Ways Of Seeing' by John Berger 1972
'Blake's Letter' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic on canvas
And I know that this world is a world of imagination and vision.
I see every thing I paint in this world, but everybody does not see alike
William Blake (Excerpt from letter to Reverand John Trusler, 1799)
'Revelation 3' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic/Black 4.0 on canvas
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’
But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,
so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear,
so you can cover your shameful nakedness;
and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Revelation 3: 17-18
'Ways Of Seeing', 'Blake's Letter' & 'Revelation 3' under UV black light
'A-Z' 2024 61x30.5cm Neon acrylic/acrylic on canvas
The maritime International Code of Signals uses flag hoists to communicate between vessels.
These are the flags for A (alfa) and Z (zulu)
Alfa Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf
Hotel India Juliet Kilo Lima Mike November
Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform
Victor Whiskey Xray Yankee Zulu
'BS' 2024 61x30.5cm Neon acrylic/acrylic on canvas
The maritime International Code of Signals uses flag hoists to communicate between vessels.
These are the flags for B (bravo) and S (sierra)
LHS: Beware of false prophets
who come to you in sheeps clothing
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves
Matthew 7:15
RHS: The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit
is an order of magnitude bigger than
that needed to produce it
Brandolini’s Law
'A-Z', & 'BS' under UV black light
'The World Wants To Be Deceived' 2024 Digital Artwork 1080x1080px
Quote from 'Ship Of Fools' by Sebastian Brant (1494)
'Adriana' 2024 61x30.5cm Acrylic/Lit on canvas
A black circle and a black square on an orange background is an international maritime distress signal.
Star alignment: 14 June 2023 1.55am. 80km off the coast of Pylos, Messenia, Greece
This is when the migrant boat, the Adriana, capsized - with over 500 people loosing their lives.
'Fire & Brimstone' 2024 30.5x63cm Neon acrylic/acrylic on canvas
The maritime International Code of Signals uses flag hoists to communicate between vessels.
These are the flags for I (india) and T (tango). Used together they indicate 'I am on fire'.
'But the fearful and unbelieving
the abominable murderers and whoremongers
and sorcerers and idolaters
and all liars shall have their part
in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone
which is the second death'
Revelation 21:8
'Love Is All You Need' 2024 56x56cm Acrylic on canvas
The maritime International Code of Signals uses flag hoists to communicate between vessels.
These are the flags for L (lima), O (oscar), V (victor) and E (echo).
All You Need Is Love
All You Need Is Love
All You Need Is Love
Love
Love Is All You Need
Love Is All You Need
Love Is All You Need
Love Is All You Need
Star alignment: 25th June1967 20:55 GMT London, England
(date of 'Our World' worldwide live TV broadcast of The Beatles performing 'All You Need Is Love')
'Hamilton' 2023 30.5x30.5cm Acrylic/Black 4.0 on canvas
Homage to Richard Hamilton's cover for The Beatles White Album, released in 1968
Revolution
'Spanish Bombs' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic/Black 4.0 on canvas
They sang the red flag - They wore the black one
From 'Spanish Bombs' by The Clash 1979, using the C.N.T/F.A.I Anarchist flag
'This Land' 2024 61x30.5cm Neon acrylic/acrylic on canvas
There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me
sign was painted it said private property
but on the back side it didn’t say nothing
this land was made for you and me
'This Land Is Your Land' by Woody Guthrie, from the original 1940 version.
This verse was omitted from the 1944 recording.
'Spanish Bombs' & 'This Land' under UV black light
'Protoneon' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic on canvas
Proto-cuneiform symbols from Mesopotamia, circa 3500 BC
'Mesopotamia' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Neon acrylic/acrylic on canvas
The flag of Iraq, overlaid with proto-cuneiform symbols from Mesopotamia, circa 3500 BC
'Protosilver' 2024 30.5x30.5cm Silver/black 4.0 on canvas
Proto-writing & proto-cuneiform symbols from Transylvania & Mesopotamia, circa 5300-3500 BC
'Protoneon' & 'Mesopotamia' under UV black light
Full Circle 2023/5300BC 30.5x30.5cm Acrylic on canvas
Using Kazimir Malevichs 'Black Square' (1915) as a starting point:
Overlaid with proto-writing symbols from one of the Transylvanian neolithic Tartaria clay amulets from 5300BC.
Full Circle (Animated) 2023/5300BC
'Another Star' 2023 Acrylic/Lit on canvas 30.5x30.5cm. Edition of 10••
The alignment of the stars above Warrington, England at 3am on the date of the artist's birth.
Each edition produced to order - based on customers specified date/time & location.
'Another Star' 2023 Video
'Imagine There's No Heaven, It's Easy If You Try' 2023
30.5x30.5cm, Dia30.5cm Acrylic/Lit on canvas •
The dots on the white square are the music notes for the piano intro to 'Imagine'.
The stars on the black circle are how they were aligned above New York on the night of John Lennon's murder - 8th December 1980 at 10:50pm EST
'Imagine There's No Heaven, It's Easy If You Try' 2023 Video
'London Calling To The Far Away Towns' 2023
30.5x30.5cm, dia30.5cm. Acrylic/Lit on canvas •
Based on 'London Calling' album by The Clash.
Stars alignment: London 9.00am on 14th December 1979, the date the album was released.
10" Shellac Triptych 2023 Acrylic on canvas board 3x10"sq
Cross Road Blues - Jeru/Godchild - Strange Fruit
7" Vinyl 2023 Acrylic on canvas board 4x7"sq
Hard Days Night Opening chord Starman Guitar chords
London Calling Guitar chords/melody John Cages' 4'33" Silence
Algorhythm Series
Generated by Artistic Intelligence
Algorhythm#2 2023 30x30cm Acrylic on canvas
Algorhythm#3 2023 30x30cm Acrylic on canvas
Algorhythm#8 2023 30x30cm Acrylic on canvas
Algorhythm#11 (Cloudbusting) 2023 30x30cm Acrylic on canvas
Algorhythm#1 2023 58x59cm Acrylic on paper
Algorhythm#4 2023 52x52cm Acrylic on paper
Algorhythm#6 2023 58x65cm Acrylic on paper
Algorhythm#7 2023 56x60cm Acrylic on paper
