Art Decade 2009-2019

“I wish I could spend my days, lost in the pursuit of paint, all in the name of a greater journey-THAT greater journey.”
Me-November 18th 2009

(Top) “Legend” (2009)-oil on canvas | 30″ x 40″

A decade closing then. Time to take personal stock. Tally the gains against the losses. Measure the clock, along with the lines on your face, and the marks on the canvas.

I’ve been doing my own introspection of the whole retrospection lately, diving through decades old blog posts, and for all the highs, lows, occasional navel gazing, pretentious waffle and daubed missteps, the one constant ally has been the work. The eradicable drive to continue on the painted quest against sometimes insurmountable odds. At times it’s felt hopeless, like total folly, at others a sanctuary of illumination, but always a restless, fathomless pursuit for meaning in this mad, bad thing called life.

I imagine all this means that for myself, the muse and the rest of you still willing to enjoy what I do, we are stuck with one another until we all fall down, or are blown to smithereens.
Nevertheless, my gratitude is as boundless as the event horizon, for those who’ve stuck with and supported me this far.

Here then, is a piece from each year-souvenirs that mark my greater journey.

Theothanatos | Ghosts | Man/son | Purgatorium | La Bodega | Paradiso’s Fall

Legacy-an Artists General Truth-(2011)–Oil on Canvas | 48″x24″

“Osmosis” (2011)-oil on canvas | 36″ x 24″

“Rise” (2012)-oil on canvas | 30″ x 40″

“What’s Past is Prologue” (2013)-oil on canvas | 36″ x 48″

“This Thing of Darkness, I Acknowledge Mine” (2014)-oil on canvas | 36″ x 48″

“The Devil” (2015)-oil on canvas |36″ x 48″

“Leviathan” (2016)-oil on canvas | 42″ x 80″

“Wrath” (2017)-oil on canvas | 36″ x 48″

“The Voyage of Elen” (2018)-oil on canvas | 36″ x 48″

“Origins of a Black Hole” (2019)-oil on canvas | 36″ x 48″

Paleozoic periods

 "And my essays lying scattered on the floor
Fulfil their needs just by being there"

David Bowie-Conversation Piece

That's it, the final flourish-my daubed initials alongside a scuttering trilobite. A little primordial arachnomorph, peering out from the corner of a bygone time. 

An apt note to end the series on then. 

He's also a call back to all of those gorgeously illustrated dinosaur books I had as a child, a relic from my own Paleozoic period if you will. Long gone to some netherland, dusty token corner of the internet, which I inevitably pored over before I began the series. 

Actually, if you look at my piece 'Space Enough Have I, to Lie in Such a Prison" from my last series-Purgatorium-you can see a little Archaeopteryx and Eohippus, in what is ultimately a thread between the two collections.

Speaking of seminal beginnings, I finally caught the excellent Bowie documentary-'Finding Fame'. 
It reminded me that in an older blog post (which is hard to believe is almost a decade ago now) I'd wondered" Pre Ziggy...What spurred that self belief?" 

What struck me, was for all of David Jones's early missteps,through excruciating novelty Gnome records and mime, were the seeds of sustained, exploratory fearlessness he  possessed of creative self discovery and illumination.For him, what started as a vehicle for some sort of notoriety, manifested into creating for the spirit of the mere act of creating itself, as a way of destroying the self..

Coming at the tail end of my own series, about mans compulsive nature for creation and destruction, it's a sentiment I both adhere and relate to. 

Certainly, his passing in 2016 and his final album has informed this entire body of work.

Just over a fortnight to go before the unveiling, and all the final preparation still ahead of me. 

In every sense.


 

Title Series

It's a month away until showtime.

Even the icy tundra of the early morning studio, can't deter me from the last haul, as I defrost, warming my hands by the space heater, and with bottomless mugs of tea . 

As the final piece nestles on the easel, the juggling frenzy of photographing the pieces and varnishing them before framing extends the working day, long into the evening. 

It's afforded me the distance of looking over the entire collection, without that constant niggling feeling that I want to tickle a corner or start over. 

I can tell you that the material comprises what I believe to be some of my most powerful, unsettling and uncompromising work to date. Truly, serpentine anima for the dark period it's been created in.

I'm very happy and proud of the whole series.

Whilst I can't reveal the works yet, the titles at least should give you some semblance of what to expect. As the Tempest was to Purgatorium, some of the titles for Paradiso's Fall are taken from passages of Milton's Paradise Lost. Others were directed from specific content. Here then-in the order I hope to exhibit them-are the titles.

1 What's Dark Within, Illuminate.

2 Where Death and Nature Breeds

3 The Voyage of Elen

4 The Death Eaters

5 The Origins of Life

6 The Origins of Death

7 Origins of a Black Hole

8 Ages of Hopeless End

9 For Want of Other Prey

Other possible titles were 'To Put it Mildly', 'Long and Prayerful Consideration' 'Chaos Judge the Strife' and 'Sacrament of the White Knights', so make of those what you will.
 

Also uncompromising, was Tomi Ungerer, who I read with real sadness, passed away recently. As I wrote in a previous post from 2009, upon first seeing Tomi's work in his book-Testament-at Liverpool's library in the 1980's had a profound effect on me. "his work peels back the thinly veiled skin to reveal the stark bone of societies distemper beneath."

And whilst some would say that 87 years of age is a good innings, it seems pretty unfair that he's gone, given a certain former 'reality' TV host still breathes to spread misery and woe, but then I guess as with Newtons third law, 'everything has an equal and opposite reaction'

I highly recommend 'Far out isn't far enough' if you haven't seen it-I think it was on Netflix, but beg, borrow or steal a copy.

Enjoy the silence.

 “One cannot long remain so absorbed in contemplation of emptiness without being increasingly attracted to it. In vain one bestows on it the name of infinity; this does not change its nature. When one feels such pleasure in non-existence, one’s inclination can be completely satisfied only by completely ceasing to exist.”
― Émile Durkheim, Suicide: A Study in Sociology

It looks like I'm staring off into the abyss, pondering the muddy expanse of the soiled nothing, but it's actually that first contemplative pause before something happens, in a space fertile with possibility. It allows the chance as the song by Depeche Mode said, to enjoy the silence.

As the year comes to a close, it's no accident that the piece I'm planning is about the heralding of a new dawn.

In the other spaces in between, I've been reading Chris Hedges new book-"America the farewell tour." Distressing raw meat for a series that is peppered with ill omens hurtling us towards the end times. Take me at my sarcastic best, when I say that if his previous tome-"American Fascism" is a side splitter, this one will put you on the floor. 
At any rate, the irony isn't lost, given that it arrived during a four day power outage, while a place called Paradise burned itself out of existence. Lest we forget the horticulture tips in response,procured from the odious shitgibbon in chief.

The whole thing left a somber cloud that hasn't loomed as bleakly since Cormac McCarthys the Road.

In the face of what Hedges propounds as Durkeim's anomie in real time, it's hard to see a way forward, to not sense that all of our tomorrows shall be a continued assault of cyclical traumas, imposed by the will of a small dogmatic proportion of the populous, intent on nihilism, subjugation and extinction.  If my previous series-Purgatorium-was partially informed by Artaud's essay -"Van Gogh, the man suicided by society", then this one ascribes to a society, in essence suiciding itself.

Whatever hope then, can only come with the vast expanse of ideas, from the reflective silences pregnant with possibility. 

Otherwise, the only sound left to hear will be humanities final death rattle.


. 

Paradiso's Fall

Though it may seem a little premature, best laid plans being what they are, I thought I would let you all know where a majority of my focus is going to be for the next fourteen months.

Following on from 2014’s show Purgatorium -I am honored to announce that  Paradiso’s Fall, will be debuting at The Dark Art Emporium in Long Beach, March 2019.

Though it may seem a ways off, experience has shown me that if time waits for no one, then it accelerates at light speed in the studio.

Over time, I’ll be posting works in progress, possibly even video peaks throughout the next twelve months, so I hope you’ll continue to follow me as I take another excursion down the rarebit hole.

As always the support and encouragement you provide sustains me like a manna, so my indelible thanks.

Aldous Huxley

“…most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

Another painted sketch, flexing the painted portrait muscles, while I busy myself for the next series. In this picture,Huxley reminds me of a cross between Jarvis Cocker and myself in my early 20’s .  I think that’s around the time I first read Brave New World. Then of course, it was still a work of fiction, or at least a cautionary tale. Like Orwell’s 1984, I suppose its become a sort of manifesto for the contemporary morass we live in. The Deltas intellectual malaise that is now the modern idocracy. The cultist anathema of the solidarity circle, now the evangelical right wing and the indignant Trump supporter.  Somas sleepwalkers….well, name your poison.

Dark days indeed.

The book had enough of a seminal impact on me to title one of my pieces after it, back in 2014 for my series Purgatorium. I’ll be making an announcement about its follow up series in the new year.

Six Page Interview in Serial Killer Quarterly

As delightfully diabolical as a sack of infant gizzards delivered by Krampus himself, is the Christmas edition of Serial Killer Quarterly, published by Grinning Man Press. Enough to curdle chilled eggnog by the fire, it features the most wretched deviants to stain the virgin white snow of humanity, oh and me also. 
You can order a copy from the following link:  

SERIAL KILLER QUARTERLY CHRISTMAS EDITION

Review of Purgatorium on Art Business.com

"David Van Gough conjures up fabulously fantastic, elaborate, and at times grotesque and ghastly realities. Worth seeing"

Purgatorium maybe off the walls, but the show recently enjoyed the tremendous accolade of being featured on Art Business, accompanied by a review and photos  taken by none other than Alan Bamberger.
It's midway down the post:

ART BUSINESS REVIEW 

NEW DAVID VAN GOUGH INTERVIEW ON CVLT NATION

"It was the whole shabby search for why I am, and it brought me back to the Van Gogh thing, that martyred bastard's shadow" 

I've been super fortunate to be interviewed by Joseph Collins over at CVLT NATION this week, and you can read the full article by clicking the link below. Cheers fellas.

CVLT Nation interview

Purgatorium Featured Spread in Visual Artistry Magazine

Just got  the heads up that those sterling folks over at Visual Artistry magazine, have featured the entire Purgatorium show as an eight page spread, in there September edition-page 44 for anyone paying attention numerically.

Not sure on the release date, but when it lands it will be available digitally and in printed form from HERE

Purgatorium Artist Reception at Bash Contemporary, September 6th 2014

In which a colorful array including the best of friends, fans and new fellowships convened upon a gallery in San Francisco for my chef d'oeuvre.  And what a night it was, the end of a most remarkable week in the Bay-a veritable breath of heady air before airing.

Too many people to thank but a heartfelt debt of gratitude to all the wonderful friends who traveled from a afar-you know who you are, my thanks to Bash Contemporary and the lovely curious folk who made it out to the show in support-you are grand. 
The show will continue to run until October 5th.

 

 

 

Some downtime with friends-Christopher Ulrich and Matt Levin

Talking Art with Sandy Yagi

With the ever exotic Stephanie Vega, Her husband Glenn and my dear friend Dahlia Jane

 

in the midst of Purgatory, beautiful duo Melinda and my wife Lani 

You can see the rest of the photos from the night-HERE 

The fruits of Labor days

It's one week away-Purgatorium at Bash- two years worth of preparation kneeling at the alter of my easel, a hanging for public dissemination, though not too much of a public hanging hopefully. 
The Art is framed and wrapped like Festivus,and we shall be hitting the road for the long haul to the Bay shortly.
Which just leaves me to say a hearty thank you to everyone who has shared, liked and commented through the social media sphere- whilst certain 'official' quarters remain less than forthcoming in recognizing my efforts-I am always encouraged by the enthusiasm and support of my true fans. 

Cheers!!

Hope to see some of you next week

PURGATORIUM AT BASH CONTEMPORARY

Artist reception Saturday September 6th-6pm-9pm

210 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102 info@bashcontemporary.com

Final Painting for the Purgatorium show

 

Although most of my friends on Facebook and the like will be acquainted with it by now, here it is for your viewing pleasure-"This thing of Darkness, I acknowledge mine"

What to tell you about it-well, not only is it the last piece I painted, but it's the final piece in the entire series. I had intended 'He who dies, pays all debts" (and I apologize for the long titles, but you know-go tell it to Shakespeare) but I really wanted the arc to end on a high note, as well as it be something which could include Joseph Locke, William Blake and my cat Ronin. 

With all that said, it's kind of a farewell to England, or the idea of England-a place that exists as an idea rather than tangible landmass. A topography of the mind, or at least its surrounding ocean if you will. 

It'll be hung along it's sisters and brothers throughout September at Bash Contemporary. 

Yeah, you know the drill. HERE

Candy Covered Coatings.

Here I am, gilding the lilly, or slapping on a final coat of varnish to the layman. If we as artists were an honest breed, I imagine we would admit that it is the absolute worst part of the process, the moment when all your hours meticulously working color, hue and detail, is obliterated by chance, akin to dragging broad daubs of phlegmatic, milky, sputum across your work with the flat edge of a broom. It's an absolute macrocosm in time,space and humidity and one give's oneself over absolutely to the alchemy of environment, which when all said and done, is probably wonderfully freeing and cathartic, and rather like a trial by fire or some thing like that. 

Regardless, we are just under three weeks away from endgame, skates on, showdown or up if you will. 

Purgatorium-Graphite versions

One of the core pleasures of this series, was the opportunity to do detailed sketches before scaling up to their painted versions. All the pieces are 11" x 14" and priced at $500 each, any inquiries should be forwarded to info@bashcontemporary.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Titles:

1. Good wombs have borne bad sons.

2. Whats past is prologue.

3. A thousand furlongs of sea, for an acre of barren land.

4. The dark and backward abysm of time

5. Brave new world

6. Misery acquaints man with strange bedfellows

7. So lie there, my Art

8. Poor worm, thou art infected

9. Night kept chained below

10. Space have I to lie in such a prison

11. He that dies pays all debts

12. This thing of darkness, I acknowledge mine