Chris Silver’s Rage
Drawing inspiration from Pollock, Chris Silver’s painting depicts a deconstructed portrait which is both emotional and physical whilst managing to retain an illustrative nature. The narrative of emotion can be felt through its autobiographical application, indicating the artist's state of mind.
Why did you put yourself forward for the open call?
I wanted to be part of a group exhibition in a wonderful space and Paulin seemed ideal for this. I haven't had an exhibition in a long time and felt like this would be a good opportunity to be a part of an artistic community.
Tell me about this particular piece.
This piece is inspired by artists such as Francis Bacon and Jackson Pollock. It is a piece driven by spontaneity and emotion, the physicality of the brushstrokes depicting inner mood - it can be autobiographical in the sense that it depicts the artist's inner mood. The physical application of colour and texture depicts a certain mood and atmosphere.
Is this the kind of work you usually do?
I have always been into portraiture, but recently my work has went down a much more abstracted route, as I am now focusing less on illustrative and representational qualities in my paintings. Things are uglier and more obscured. It is now driven by emotions and feelings. I have also been doing abstract figurative work where Adrian Ghenie is a massive influence. My work was pop in nature, which is a major departure, but I still retain some of these illustrative and bold qualities in my new work. It's a mix between abstract expressionism and pop qualities.
How do you connect to Paulin as a member of the creative community?
Everyone involved in the exhibition has been a part of the Scottish arts community. Being a part of this is very important to me; being a part of a creative environment with other artists and a wonderful space is just a great experience.
To see the Rage for yourself, have a peek inside our Edinburgh store!
You can find Chris Silver on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chrissilverart.