BORN 1958, Toronto, Ontario RESIDES Montreal, Quebec EDUCATION No formal art education |
I’m compelled to paint the largely unseen, nondescript urban building or storefront. The intuitive process by which my imagery is selected relates to a subconscious desire to define myself through those images. At a most basic level I’m attempting, with photorealism, to maintain an objective distance from the subject matter by adhering to the limited information I can decipher in a single slide of film. I work within a strict painting schedule and limit my materials to a single #6 gold sable brush, one type of smooth surfaced watercolour paper and a limited palette of two blues, two reds, yellow and black. I apply very dilute acrylic paint in transparent glazes with a modified watercolour/ dry brush technique. The restrictions are an attempt at eliminating the subjective or arbitrary decisions I make while painting. By fervently controlling the subjective elements of my practice I feel I’m allowing the viewer of my paintings a more objective experience while still acknowledging the issues which are the genesis of my work. Neil MacCormick 2008
I am often asked why I paint what I paint. Answer one: I am attracted to the multi-layered environment presented to us by cities. The simultaneous existence of past and present that makes a walk down a busy street feel like a visit to an archaeological site. I look past the restored historical landmark to find the everyday, ordinary relic which by virtue of its survival offers us a more poignant reminder of earlier inhabitants. Answer two: I stop, without thinking, at a scene I see as a mixture of beauty and despair. I take a photo, I make a painting. The act of painting is searching out an ache and finding the spot where it hurts most. Neil MacCormick 2002 |