Cadmium And Iron

Coventry, March, 2014

I’m sure many people are familiar with that sense of still inhabiting a film after leaving a cinema, (particularly in daylight, for some reason).  I’ve often experienced something similar when leaving an Art exhibition, - tending to perceive the world through the filter of the work I’ve just seen, if only for a short time.  This happened recently on leaving Dale vNMarshall’s ‘Walls With Wounds’ show at Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, (discussed in my previous post).

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, March 2014

Dale vN Marshall, 'Shadowy Figures', Mixed Media On Canvas, 2014

Immediately outside the building is a commemorative, public art installation comprising numerous, laser-cut steel screens with an artfully rusted patina.  Predictably, instead of interacting with these as intended, I found myself focusing mostly upon their surface qualities and, especially, the traces of damage and graffiti inflicted on them after their installation.  The nuanced layering of this reminded me of much of what I’d only just seen in Marshall’s paintings, especially ‘Game Theory – Shadowy Figures', with its wild traceries and overall rusty brown palette.

Coventry, March 2014

It was impossible to ignore the lovingly inscribed, if slightly intimidating ‘comedy nob’ adorning one of the steel surfaces.  Obviously, I’m old enough to know better than to keep confronting you with these, and I apologise for any offense caused once again.  In my defense, I’m not originating them, - merely recording what’s out there in the world.  This particular example seems to belong to a sub-category in which said member is depicted pendant rather than erect, - slightly undermining any intended shock value, I suspect.  Obviously, there’s a long and (ig)noble tradition of such overt motifs, (I’m sure academics have written many papers), and I can only hope my own harvesting of them is more anthropological than Freudian.

Honestly, - You Couldn't Make This Stuff Up.  Coventry, March 2014

Coventry, March 2014

A few yards away, I was drawn to two seperate sites where architects and contractors had sought fit to fill corners of the world with the most saturated, primary yellow.  These rather joyous statements contrasted markedly with the leaden skies and icy rain that were imposing themselves on Coventry, and I felt a real desire to immerse myself within them.  Beyond the obvious overlap with my love of Hazard graphics, there also seemed to be some kind of analogy with Marshall’s use of heightened colour to evoke the paradoxical euphoria of psychosis.  Traditionally, yellow has often been associated with mental illness as much as with joy and, however trite it may seem, I can’t help also thinking of Van Gogh’s solar discs and blazing cornfields.

Vincent Van Gogh, 'Wheat Field With Reaper And Sun', Oil On Canvas, 1889

Sometimes, I wonder if hanging around on a freezing, wet Sunday afternoon to get excited about security fencing is really an ideal pastime for anyone.  Then, I remember that responding to such unexpected visual bounty in the most mundane contexts is exactly the kind of thing an attuned artist might do.

Coventry, - Fun City

Dale vN Marshall: ‘Walls With Wounds’ continues at Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, until 18 May 2014.