Dean Melbourne - A Painter's Blog

Five of five small paintings – “Underground Rip”, Oil on board

deanmelbourne — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:19:00 +0000

This is the last of five small experiments I made earlier this week. This painting had plenty of work in it already and i think that shows. At the risk of sounding like a broken record I will say that as an object in the flesh this is much more interesting. I guess that there is something to be learned from that. The large paintings on paper that use a different process translate really well in photos, but these paintings that are more paintings that pictures. They have an objectness that my the big flat ones don’t.

An artist whose work I admire tackles this object/painting/picture dynamic is David Dipre. I have always been interested in Davids work but his investigation has always seemed pretty distant from my own. I will enjoy subtly exploring the notion some more.

One significant difference I guess is that I am still keen on Titles as a device to lead the viewer and sometimes mislead. I like the theatre of it. The untruth of it I guess. This i think means that the viewer might still engage on a picture level as apposed to an object level. or something…

Four of five small paintings – “On This Evening” , Oil on board

deanmelbourne — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:11:07 +0000

Three of five small paintings – “The Seared Road”, Oil on board

deanmelbourne — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:19:20 +0000

Letting the yellow ground show through the drawn marks allows me to be more economical with marks made. I found this useful in retaining energy in the more aggressive marks. Less tinkering the intersecting brushstrokes more visible. An attempt to convey the dizzying heat of a climb in the midday sun.

Two of five small paintings – “Silence”, Oil on board

deanmelbourne — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:20:43 +0000

This one is not the best photo but proved hard to photograph as there is a layer of varnish underneath the latest work. I have struggled to bring this painting to a close for a month or so. I am thrilled with the sense of a reflected sky and the layering of the lights. Can you spot a familiar presence ?

One of Five Small Paintings “Shangri-La” OIl on Board

deanmelbourne — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:53:04 +0000

Spent the day exploring some small paintings on boards using coloured grounds. This is one of the few figures I have painted in recent months. I have had a kind of enforced hiatus after spending many years doing little else. After my visit to the national gallery on saturday I just had to allow myself to make a response. I completed five small paintings today in a flurry of activity. Some have been underway for some months so had some hours in them already. I will post them one at a time to allow myself chance to think about them.

I have to say they look better in the flesh I think, they are about 30 x 20 cm

Dean Melbourne , New Painting, “When Beauty is not heeded”

deanmelbourne — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:40:09 +0000

When Beauty Is Not Heeded, Oil on paper, 150cm x120cm , Dean Melbourne 2012

Dean Melbourne Interview @ View art galley, Bristol

deanmelbourne — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:59:09 +0000

Dean Melbourne Interview @ View art galley, Bristol

Short conversation about bits of my process some inspirations

Drawing – Second in new exploration

deanmelbourne — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:15:34 +0000

Untitled Study, Ink and watercolour, 16/4/2012, Dean Melbourne

A drawing, A first step

deanmelbourne — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:33:14 +0000

Boom Box, Pen and ink on paper,13/4/2012, Dean Melbourne

New Painting – Ancient Site of the Collider (after Thomas Chambers)

deanmelbourne — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:59:34 +0000