Delighted to introduce Paul Blenkhorn to The FLUX Review Q&A’s.
‘For more than 30 years I have been working in the area of sensory stimulation with a specific interest in visual stimulation for children and adults with disabilities. My work has predominantly been with software to attract, engage and interact with people. I am fascinated by the light/colour of forms and their differing relationships to the objects around them. I believe that the nature of the light is somewhat different when it is emitted from a screen rather than reflected from a surface. Some of my more recent software in this area can be seen at www.sensoryapphouse.com I also have a longstanding passion for modern art – particularly the works of many abstract expressionists. More recently I’ve been engaged in two different activities: abstract, mostly nonrepresentational painting with acrylics on various materials; and using Neural style transfer techniques as part of the process for producing digital works from images that hold particular memories for me. I also seem to paint in a number of different styles depending on my mood/which way the wind is blowing. Paintings seem to start in with my mood or a specific influence and they then lead me on. I thought this was a bit odd but then saw how many different styles Gerhart Richter paints in and thought that gave me “permission’.
Self-taught or art school?
My painting is self-taught although I have done some online courses in abstract painting. My computer work is based on many years of experience in computer systems in both academia (Emeritus Professor in Assistive Technology) and assistive technology companies.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
The more I have thought about this one the harder it has become to pick any particular artwork or even artist. I think I’m going to have to go with my first thought which was an artwork by Jackson Pollock – but which one? There are so many that have made an impression on me, but for practicality, I’ll go for “Full Fathom Five” – at least it is small enough to fit on the wall in my house.
How would you describe your style?
I would describe the style of my painting and my favourite apps/videos as abstract expressionist although more recently some of my paintings seem to be drifting into a rather more surreal domain.
I don’t know how to characterise my digital works – it very much depends on the subject and seems really varies. I have been exploring the use of neural style transfer systems which, of course, can result in some very different stylised images.
Is narrative important within your work?
In my abstract works, there isn’t any intended narrative, more of an expression of an inner state/emotions at the time of working.
My digital artworks are very much narrative. Sometimes the narrative is clearly in the work, e.g. if it is about some social or environmental position such as my “Tribute to Migrant Mother”, at other times the narrative is not so obvious if, say, the work is about a particular memory from my past. Of course, sometimes it is both as with “19” (based on Salvador Dali’s “Persistence of Memory”). In this case, the image is clearly a tribute to Dali and a commentary on the situation with Covid-19 (apart from the outside of the watches the image is made up of manipulated versions of different viruses). However, it is also rather poignant for me as I have seen it a number of times at MoMa and it reminds me of the times I have had in New York and especially at MoMa with family and friends.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
I find this to be another very hard question the more I ponder on it. To resolve my increasing confusion I’ll just list the artists that came to mind initially: Carravagio for his use of light and darkness; Turner whose work is, for me, all about the light; Monet’s late work in his gardens – especially moved by his use of light and colour; Pollock simply because his extraordinary work is beyond what I am able to express in words; Rothko whose use of colour almost always brings me to tears when I stand in front of one of his works; and finally Gerhart Richter whose abstracts are just outstanding, but also his strength in several different artistic areas and styles gave me permission to not restrict myself to just trying to find “my style”.
What or who inspires your art?
I have always felt compelled to make things whether they are interactive computer systems, paintings, digital art or bamboo sculptures/circus equipment. This drive comes from within and the inspiration for its realisation has come from other artworks/artists; seeing the response of children to interactive computer systems; memories from my life; my current emotional state; and so on …
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is a reasonably sized room in the attic of my house. It has some exercise equipment, at least two computers with four screens and a large desk (and floor) for painting. There is an easel but hardly every paint vertically.
Do you have any studio rituals?
No, although establishing one to tidy the space more often would be sensible.
What are you working on currently?
My abstract works have recently moved back into a hybrid Pollock/Richter blend. I’ve been experimenting with working on smaller canvases/paper (A3 down to 20cm square) as I am running out of space for bigger works until I sort out storage of my paintings, and after initially trying smaller formats, I found that I quite like the focus of a small space.
In my digital artworks, I’m working on a couple of pieces about migration and borders. One is a view from The Channel toward Dover (provisional title: Lifeboat England). The other is a view of the Statue of Liberty and other American symbols (provision title: Give No More).
I’m also working on sound (voice) activated stimulation app for disabled children.
Where can we buy your art?
Some of my paintings can be found at https://www.saatchiart.com/paulblenkhorn
My digital works are nearly all at https://www.saatchiart.com/paulblenkhorn-digitalart
Prints of most of my paintings can be found at https://www.sensoryarthouse.com
More than 400 close-ups of parts of my paintings can be downloaded for free at https://unsplash.com/@sensoryarthouse
What are your ambitions?
My short term ambition would be to get gallery representation. In the very long term, I would love to see some of my work in the Tate Modern and/or MoMa.
