On my way into the studio, a breezy quarter of a mile walk from home, I often drop into the National Museum of Wales to have a quick look at the Cézanne’s or sometimes I check out a patch of one of the Monet Water Lilies or one of the sad and scary Van Gogh’s,
‘Landscape at Auvers in the Rain’- from the last few days of his life in July 1890 . . . All of them soooo present and as real as lightning, the most 'present' painting I've ever seen by the way is Vermeer's 'The Maidservant Pouring Milk' when it toured with other Vermeers to the National Gallery some years ago. It's 'there' like nothing else I've ever seen. Keeps me fighting fit.
I’m only in there half an hour, it’s like grabbing a slice of toast for breakfast, but this morning I’d had no breakfast and it was cold – I needed a cooked breakfast to set me up – I went to my usual place – upstairs in the covered market (it used to be a women’s prison) and who should be tucking into the same, but Doc Franklyn.
Dr Franklyn: Hey … good to see you, early start …?’ I look at him sideways, smiling. ‘Hungry start I think …You too I see…?’ and ordered knowing that I’d only have to wait a few minutes, it was busy and the griddle was in full sizzle. As usual with the good Dr, there’s hardly any preamble, he’s into it all fulltime – and so am I – so off he starts as I pull out the chair next to him and place my mug of tea and knife n fork in front of me.
Dr Franklyn: 'Listen, Something about those drawings got me thinking - I think it was their title, started me musing - the ones you were having some trouble with, the - We Enter As Animals - yes?. '
Me: 'Yes that’s right.'
Dr Franklyn: 'So if we enter animals, how do we leave? Is that it?'
Me: ‘That’s correct.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘I propose a solution … but you know what they say about cures…’ My breakfast arrived – I attacked it and he let me be as I set to and made up my mind whether I wanted to follow this one.
Me: Let’s jaw on that one another time Doc, if we can – I’m doing something with them right now and it’s too close to talk about.
Monday, 29 October 2007
The Colour With No Name 2 0f 7
Dr Franklyn: ‘Fair enough … the other topic I’ve been mulling over was ... the colour with no name.
Me: I had to put my knife and fork down.
‘Where did you come up with that from?’
Dr Franklyn … Laughing ‘I was watching a Clint Eastwood film the other night on TV, the man with no name stuff. It occurred to me that there are plenty of sounds without names – just onomatopoeic resemblances – and plenty of colours without names - what is a POW! ? Not forgetting the exclamation mark of course - it usually means someone is hitting someone else or something … what is a SKREEK! ? It could be nails on a blackboard or a bird call ( people were looking at us now) so what then, is the colour of this tea?’
Me: ‘It’s a milky tea colour of course Doc … and I guess there has been a milky tea colour since the 17th century at least … before that, errr I wouldn’t like to think what they called it - might put me off breakfast! … but I see your point, that is a literal description of what it is … other than that it’s one of the millions of pale browns of some kind – Harmonics I’d call them – colours that people don’t notice until they have to call them something – or they are decorating a room – then they become flavourised’ ( the Doc laughed)
Dr Franklyn: ‘Is that a technical term?’... still laughing.
Me: ‘Does the trick doesn’t it … yes .. flavourised colour descriptions, like White with a hint of Apple – Barley Haze – Cinnamon – Petunia, they’re all apt descriptive names – even if we do tend to laugh at them.’
Me: I had to put my knife and fork down.
‘Where did you come up with that from?’
Dr Franklyn … Laughing ‘I was watching a Clint Eastwood film the other night on TV, the man with no name stuff. It occurred to me that there are plenty of sounds without names – just onomatopoeic resemblances – and plenty of colours without names - what is a POW! ? Not forgetting the exclamation mark of course - it usually means someone is hitting someone else or something … what is a SKREEK! ? It could be nails on a blackboard or a bird call ( people were looking at us now) so what then, is the colour of this tea?’
Me: ‘It’s a milky tea colour of course Doc … and I guess there has been a milky tea colour since the 17th century at least … before that, errr I wouldn’t like to think what they called it - might put me off breakfast! … but I see your point, that is a literal description of what it is … other than that it’s one of the millions of pale browns of some kind – Harmonics I’d call them – colours that people don’t notice until they have to call them something – or they are decorating a room – then they become flavourised’ ( the Doc laughed)
Dr Franklyn: ‘Is that a technical term?’... still laughing.
Me: ‘Does the trick doesn’t it … yes .. flavourised colour descriptions, like White with a hint of Apple – Barley Haze – Cinnamon – Petunia, they’re all apt descriptive names – even if we do tend to laugh at them.’
The Colour With No Name 3 of 7
Dr Franklyn: ‘That’s right - people need them of course; They are the same as Vermillion red or Cerulean, commonly held descriptives or flavourisations – to use your word. Everything we see, hear, touch and smell has to be described in one way or another of course, and a perceived marketplace, or a science, a history, or something’s manufacture defines the kind of description.
Is Magnolia forever Magnolia? or, does it miraculously and expensively transform into a Honey Silk somewhere in the higher echelons of interior design, – but what I was really interested in are the colours that aren’t noticed, or haven’t been sold, the shy colours – the colours with no names…’
Me: Welllll…There are a whole batch of colours that I and a couple of other painters know, we call them Neptunian…’
Dr Franklyn: Are they from a particular part of the spectrum? Can you point to any around us?
Me: No – there are none around us, I can tell you that without looking. From the time when you did all that painting on the island - you know about simultaneous contrast don’t you? – or you found out by empirical methods - that a colour changes it’s value depending on the colour next to it, or the colour surrounding it etc. Well - a Neptunian colour becomes such; not only because of that effect – which can be purposefully encouraged to an end, or built at a subconscious level; but can be mixed to act as such with other colours of it’s ilk… often by scumbling one colour over another.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Okaay… I think I followed you there - and a scumble is a layer of paint who’s basic nature is to be opaque but which is rendered semi opaque by the action of it’s application ? a scumble …’
Is Magnolia forever Magnolia? or, does it miraculously and expensively transform into a Honey Silk somewhere in the higher echelons of interior design, – but what I was really interested in are the colours that aren’t noticed, or haven’t been sold, the shy colours – the colours with no names…’
Me: Welllll…There are a whole batch of colours that I and a couple of other painters know, we call them Neptunian…’
Dr Franklyn: Are they from a particular part of the spectrum? Can you point to any around us?
Me: No – there are none around us, I can tell you that without looking. From the time when you did all that painting on the island - you know about simultaneous contrast don’t you? – or you found out by empirical methods - that a colour changes it’s value depending on the colour next to it, or the colour surrounding it etc. Well - a Neptunian colour becomes such; not only because of that effect – which can be purposefully encouraged to an end, or built at a subconscious level; but can be mixed to act as such with other colours of it’s ilk… often by scumbling one colour over another.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Okaay… I think I followed you there - and a scumble is a layer of paint who’s basic nature is to be opaque but which is rendered semi opaque by the action of it’s application ? a scumble …’
The Colour With No Name 4 of 7
Me: Laughing…’ I couldn’t have put it better Doc – yes – and the important thing in a scumble, is that the under painting shows and contributes. Generally all kinds of harmonic colours can appear, unless your scumbling something like a white over blue of course… Phew … you’ve got me having to remember stuff now – when I paint or draw I forget as much as possible, it’s in me now and I don’t want it in the way – I simply reach for things naturally when I need them – I still mess up though. That’s why you can teach people to paint, how to render stuff that will wow their friends – and very satisfying it is too – we all need time at that - but how they internalise it all, and find form for it within themselves is really up to them – even if your just having leisure fun – you want to own something of the skills – it’s a human thing – to be proud of hard won skills.
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Yes, that’s the way of things - I spent a few years when I had a practise in Barcelona, I was copying and doing my own versions of the Masereel black and whites – I couldn’t get enough, photocopiers had just become the norm and I spent hours reducing and enlarging seeing how far go, and drawing on the paper first sometimes and then photocopying over the top – good fun a new toy.’
Me: Laughing ‘Yes good old photocopy art - all the rage at one time. Masereel would have had a state of the art machine I think – but he didn’t need one, he is one of the truly greats Doc - I spent a long time with his work too, but let me finish this scumble thing for now...
The optical effect of a glaze is generally to retain or enhance clarity,the optical effect of scumbling,putting on thin layers of opaque paint; is to loose clarity,and to often give atmosphere or texture. Sometimes it can be akin to a dry brush technique.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Yes, I thought so – all the great descriptive painters were great scumblers – Rembrandt, Franz Hals…you could go on forever… Question! - how do you paint flimsy material over flesh ?
Together: ‘ You scumble it…!’ Laughing.
Dr Franklyn: But you don’t use it like that do you?’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Yes, that’s the way of things - I spent a few years when I had a practise in Barcelona, I was copying and doing my own versions of the Masereel black and whites – I couldn’t get enough, photocopiers had just become the norm and I spent hours reducing and enlarging seeing how far go, and drawing on the paper first sometimes and then photocopying over the top – good fun a new toy.’
Me: Laughing ‘Yes good old photocopy art - all the rage at one time. Masereel would have had a state of the art machine I think – but he didn’t need one, he is one of the truly greats Doc - I spent a long time with his work too, but let me finish this scumble thing for now...
The optical effect of a glaze is generally to retain or enhance clarity,the optical effect of scumbling,putting on thin layers of opaque paint; is to loose clarity,and to often give atmosphere or texture. Sometimes it can be akin to a dry brush technique.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Yes, I thought so – all the great descriptive painters were great scumblers – Rembrandt, Franz Hals…you could go on forever… Question! - how do you paint flimsy material over flesh ?
Together: ‘ You scumble it…!’ Laughing.
Dr Franklyn: But you don’t use it like that do you?’
The Colour With No Name 5 of 7
Me: ‘ No, that’s right, all I want is the colour, but the real thing that makes a Neptunian colour Neptunian, is that they carry their own atmospheres with them – individually they are the colours without a name if you like … and very different from that other useful descriptive phrase ‘Autumn colours.’
I’ll show you some Neptunes in a couple of paintings when you come to the studio next … You'd spot them now anyway. I ought to spend time doing a whole series using just those colours sometime – but they can be a bit scary .’
Laughs.
I went up to the counter to get two more teas.
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Thank you – Ok, let me try a verbal description of one of those colours see if I can get close … A deep and dark Crimson under painting, scumbled over with Yellow Ochre ?
Me: ‘Could be useful – I like it, try one from the greens.’
Dr Franklyn: A Chrome Green scumbled with Cobalt blue and Violet… laughing… it’s a new kind of word game isn’t it – like wine tasting. A full bodied red with a smoky aftertaste and a hint of liquorice.’
Me: It’s a game I played a lot as a student – still do – I look at a colour I see on a bus or somewhere like here and think – now how would I mix that? You start with the most obvious mixes, but if you know your hots and colds – and hot and cold colours tend to cancel each other in a mix, but things can get very interesting if you experiment - anyway - you can come up with some surprisingly odd and viable solutions…’
I’ll show you some Neptunes in a couple of paintings when you come to the studio next … You'd spot them now anyway. I ought to spend time doing a whole series using just those colours sometime – but they can be a bit scary .’
Laughs.
I went up to the counter to get two more teas.
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Thank you – Ok, let me try a verbal description of one of those colours see if I can get close … A deep and dark Crimson under painting, scumbled over with Yellow Ochre ?
Me: ‘Could be useful – I like it, try one from the greens.’
Dr Franklyn: A Chrome Green scumbled with Cobalt blue and Violet… laughing… it’s a new kind of word game isn’t it – like wine tasting. A full bodied red with a smoky aftertaste and a hint of liquorice.’
Me: It’s a game I played a lot as a student – still do – I look at a colour I see on a bus or somewhere like here and think – now how would I mix that? You start with the most obvious mixes, but if you know your hots and colds – and hot and cold colours tend to cancel each other in a mix, but things can get very interesting if you experiment - anyway - you can come up with some surprisingly odd and viable solutions…’
The Colour With No Name 6 of 7
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Yes, I think I know what you mean, I had a great love of chromatic blacks at one time when I was painting a lot – allied to the normal toning down of a primary with it’s opposite, like cooling off a red with a green. Loading a black with a lot of Cobolt or Ultramarine can make a stunning blue black or you can warm it up to a zingy violet black, it’s marvellous, but put in the wrong place it just looks like a plain old black or falls flat.
Me: ‘Yes, we’re really getting into the Harmonic areas now – you know how a Blue can sing against an Orange or Red, or vice versa as in primary contrasts ? - and produces involuntary afterimages and flickerings in the eye – well imagine if you could do that with Chromatic Blacks or Chromatic Whites.’
Dr Franklyn: ’That’s amazing – can you do it?’
Me: ‘The answer is yes – but here’s a funny thing Doc – It’s an old saw, but it goes back to what I was saying about simultaneous contrast and what you were just saying about putting chromatic black in the wrong place - context is everything and intention and unintention sits within it.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Most excellent, so in those cases when you’re painting - you must create the context itself for the thing to happen within it – as it were? – and If I could extrapolate further. You imply, that often you are not making a painting, or a picture as such – but providing the context for the unknown thing.?
Me: ‘ That’s pretty much correct Doc, and apart from the technical aspects,
the provision of context in a painting is for me, the state of the contract between minds. Ones own and the lookers - the painting and the audience …
Me: ‘Yes, we’re really getting into the Harmonic areas now – you know how a Blue can sing against an Orange or Red, or vice versa as in primary contrasts ? - and produces involuntary afterimages and flickerings in the eye – well imagine if you could do that with Chromatic Blacks or Chromatic Whites.’
Dr Franklyn: ’That’s amazing – can you do it?’
Me: ‘The answer is yes – but here’s a funny thing Doc – It’s an old saw, but it goes back to what I was saying about simultaneous contrast and what you were just saying about putting chromatic black in the wrong place - context is everything and intention and unintention sits within it.’
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Most excellent, so in those cases when you’re painting - you must create the context itself for the thing to happen within it – as it were? – and If I could extrapolate further. You imply, that often you are not making a painting, or a picture as such – but providing the context for the unknown thing.?
Me: ‘ That’s pretty much correct Doc, and apart from the technical aspects,
the provision of context in a painting is for me, the state of the contract between minds. Ones own and the lookers - the painting and the audience …
The Colour With No Name 7 of 7
Dr Franklyn: ‘Go on … this is interesting’
Me: ‘ Welllll … for me, it’s the work to be done - and where the fissures and frissons of meaning might reside. For me that is the art – the providing of a context. It’s difficult, and many won’t get it – why should they – nevertheless, you do it as well as you can – you let all the bits and pieces of your armory have their moment or not, as they want, as you direct - then you let it be. Often things don’t work – but others like them – that’s why you have to let it bide – because we all have a common journey – and sometimes you can’t see it yourself – you have to let others have the time to say – ‘I see this’ without explanations all the time –without ones self interest.
I am not after all, painting The Golden Pond – or whatever it is, as a descriptive thing – I am painting something else; it’s neither better or worse – it’s just what I do. They look like ‘paintings’ of course because that’s the form - I’ve never been big on trying to make the ‘art object’ as such Doc, it’s people that count – but that is the place I am caught up in - the whole malfangled art market place thing,Which was ever so of course – and having picked up the ball I’m run with it, all over the field, beyond, and as far as I jolly well.’
Authors note: Listen to the 49machines song ‘ I Am Only Working On This Hill’at www.myspace.com/49machines cut and paste to another browser window.
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Very very good – I’m glad I watched Clint Eastwood the other night.
We aught to talk more about Harmonics and perhaps Masereel next time – I’ll get us another tea… or something stronger, I think you need it now.’
Me: ‘ Welllll … for me, it’s the work to be done - and where the fissures and frissons of meaning might reside. For me that is the art – the providing of a context. It’s difficult, and many won’t get it – why should they – nevertheless, you do it as well as you can – you let all the bits and pieces of your armory have their moment or not, as they want, as you direct - then you let it be. Often things don’t work – but others like them – that’s why you have to let it bide – because we all have a common journey – and sometimes you can’t see it yourself – you have to let others have the time to say – ‘I see this’ without explanations all the time –without ones self interest.
I am not after all, painting The Golden Pond – or whatever it is, as a descriptive thing – I am painting something else; it’s neither better or worse – it’s just what I do. They look like ‘paintings’ of course because that’s the form - I’ve never been big on trying to make the ‘art object’ as such Doc, it’s people that count – but that is the place I am caught up in - the whole malfangled art market place thing,Which was ever so of course – and having picked up the ball I’m run with it, all over the field, beyond, and as far as I jolly well.’
Authors note: Listen to the 49machines song ‘ I Am Only Working On This Hill’at www.myspace.com/49machines cut and paste to another browser window.
Dr Franklyn: ‘ Very very good – I’m glad I watched Clint Eastwood the other night.
We aught to talk more about Harmonics and perhaps Masereel next time – I’ll get us another tea… or something stronger, I think you need it now.’
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