Stuart Lorimer
Spirals, 72 x 60 inches, oil on linen, 2010
The Suck, 71 x 65 inches, oil on linen, 2010
Artist Statement
Integral to my practice are images that elude a determinate concept, navigating representation and abstraction. It is in this contention between figuration and imagined components where I find myself able to develop narrative, an absurd logic and my own way of representing reality.
Paintings are developed in layers of imagery where components are introduced or removed until an image becomes tangible yet volatile – as if threatening to collapse into itself. These paintings evoke cinematic imagery – at times recalling a compact film narrative. History also informs my work – be it art historical or political. Characters recur and drift between paintings. They become iconic. They antagonize and argue for attention as if taking part in a dysfunctional production.
Other paintings undergo an act of privation, where elements and layers are stripped back until scale; time and space become indistinguishable. Objects can become monumental and space can become infinite. The resulting amalgamation is otherworldly – surreal, psychological and distinct unto itself.