01/01/20

New Decade. A quiet start to the year but with a feeling of resolve and drive to get things done.

02/01/20

“For the dead travel fast.” - Jonathan Harker’s Journal
Bram Stoker’s Dracula

03/01/20

mem: Sickert’s approach to “Portrait of Hugh Walpole” - one of my favourites - could work. Drastic yes but by simplifying the colours… more painterly…. ambiguous.

04/01/20

The Optimism Gap: Locally good. Nationally bad.

“Unsafe” Commission — “*Unsafe*” Commission

Finished commission. Looked at Sickert and Dumas. Previously it was haggard and stale.

05/01/20

…relieved!

A lot of scanned drawings tonight.

06/01/20

Renewal

07/01/20

Five posts in five weeks.

09/01/20

“Confessional”

Potential title?

11/01/20

Performed open heart surgery on the 206 today.

“No Remorse” painting is moving very very slowly.

Detail of “No Remorse” in progress — Detail of “*No Remorse*” in progress

Overthinking personal issues.

12/01/20

Belfast today.

Issues of “crown” install is mind boggling.

DIONYSUS

13/01/20

Office updating and uploading.

14/01/20

Jade Riley wrote a little piece about my practice. Chuffed!

16/01/20

Ideas with Dad for install concepts.

Hodge-Podge.

17/01/20

Bit of breathing issues but otherwise OK.

19/01/20

“Shoah” - 1985 A film by Claude Lanzmann

Eventually got out of a rut (well even a foot out of the door is good) and got sketching.

22/01/20

“To remove unwanted threads of your past (regrets or mistakes) is to undo the tapestry of your life.” - JLP

24/01/20

CCA Derry

Darren Banks

Agnes Meyer-Brandis

25/01/20

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the opening of “The Dark” in the CCA. Agnes Meyer-Brandis’ work has made me look at geese in a slightly more positive light.

Started two new canvases and pleased with the progress of “Crown of Dionysus”.

27/01/20

“Crown” finished - including wall fixing designed by Dad.

C.E.’s shouldn’t be halted until the weekend.

Finally getting around to reading the collection of art essays by Julian Barnes. I think since I got it the day I visited John in the Royal I’ve been avoiding it.

28/01/20

Late night sketching is better than no sketching at all!

30/01/20

“Time dissolves the story into form, colour, emotion. Modern and ignorant, we re-imagine the story: do we vote for the optimistic yellowing sky, or the grieving greybeard? Or do we end up believing both versions? The eye can flick from one road or one interpretation, to the other: is this what was intended?
Julian Barnes - “Géricault: Catastrophe into Art”

31/01/20

All in all a horrible day.

A while back I had the pleasure of chatting to Jade Riley, a writer and photographer, who has since written the following little piece about my practice. Be sure to check out Jade’s other writings on her site.
Thank you Jade.

What I love most about art is getting to know the artist behind the work and find out haw far the gap is between intention and visual content. Brian’s work is saturated in content which speaks to me personally. His enigmatic sketches draw me in, invite me in to almost converse with his subjects. Delicate line, yet bold movements. This is definitely an artist with something to say!

Brian has been creating art since graduating in 2010 from the Belfast School of Art. Brian’s admiration for Frances Bacon really shines through ‘His quote - unlock the valves of feeling sticks to mind’ This is exactly what I see in Brian’s’ work – an organic recording of experiences. The images allow us to absorb a jolt of feeling in that split second, the outer experience is paramount to the impact of the image. Brian also states that he also relates to Dutch artist Marlene Dumas ‘for her unflinching look at the human condition’.

I love Brian’s process in relation to preparing a piece, he works from life occasionally but a lot of his work is based on personal archival images (photographs) which pull themselves from the pile of sacred storage and into the painterly life of human experience. The naming of Brian’s work also adds to this sense of open mindedness, they guide you into a familiar overgrown garden, but it’s up to you which flower you pick. Will it lead you to a world of pain, trauma and suffering? Or will it lead you to a place of reminiscence, memory and delight? I revel in delight as to whether artists actually find out which paths their viewers take.

A quick and clever hand creates painterly gestures which haunt and yearn. The immediacy of the sketches mirrors the fleeting experiences and thoughts we drown ourselves in every single day.

Brian starts conversations with the viewers trauma and experiences, shakes their hands and whispers, ‘it’s OK’. His paintings feel like dreams of escapism, assuredly a remedy of sorts for rattling thoughts and questions unanswered. A mixture of bitter sweet.

There is an aura of subversion in Brian painting called ‘Rose’. An image of serial killer Rose West which has been watermarked with a pale, white rose, revealing her dead, dull eyes and plump red lips. Bleached of all colour and striking across her face, stealing the identify of what a rose should be. Her face has absorbed the colour, significant of the life she drained from her victims. A very powerful image which is haunting and striking.

Brian’s work ‘Hideout’ is full of movement and energy. A nod to nature and a reminder of our need to recharge. This painting for me signifies adventure, whether that be from all that is bad or from jubilance and wonder lust. The figure is ready. Ready for movement, ready for progression. Ready.

Brian’s work ‘procession study’ is a particular favourite of mine. The fifth figure giving us their full attention. We have been caught out. There is something rhythmical about this piece. The trudge, the swing and the sense of isolation and togetherness coming together. A duality of personal and private experiences.

RDH: JANUARY 2020