The Painters Chalice

The opportunity to exhibit a large-scale painting at PS² made me think about the city in which I work. The title of the work exhibited,’ The Painters Chalice’ conjures up the idea of an alchemical change taking place. The hot colours that emerge from within the large chalice form represent an emotional equivalent for change, like the city of Belfast, which itself has for a number of years been undergoing a lot of reconstruction and regeneration. I see the painting as a metaphor for constant change. The references to alchemy relate closely to the material processes I engage with in my own studio practice. The expressive colours I use create a particular mood and atmosphere in the painting. Thus I wish to communicate an emotion feeling to the audience, what that emotion is can be like the Universe itself, in a state of constant change and flux.
Text: Mark Ainsworth