This is not Zen

I have an exhibition of paintings :

17th-29th November – ‘The Grange Gallery’ Rottingdean Brighton

I was recently asked how long it took to complete a painting; my answer was “59 years”

This might seem flippant but what appears on the canvas is a culmination of how I’ve experienced the world so far, made manifest as part calligraphic ‘action painting’ part ‘colour field’.

The birth of a painting happens as a slow formulation of an image clarified in my minds eye. Before I start a day’s work I sit in meditation to empty my head to allow some spaciousness. I prepare the support from the beginning, assembling the frame and meticulously stretching the linen, this is a vital part of the process. Then over a series of days I will apply several layers of paint to form a heart or ground layers. I then apply the final motif or icon.

About the show.

We are mesmerized with our phones, ipads and widescreen TVs. I see that we are trapped in devices. Where are we living our lives, how is it affecting our minds or our wellbeing?

In this show I offer an antithesis to the intense watching, commenting and engaging. What you will see is simple abstractions devoid of any ‘real ‘ meaning, images that require no dialogue or theory.

I am asking the viewer to sit or stay for a while, switch off and enjoy emptiness of the ‘ZEN TV’

Jim MacAirt

August 8 2016