BLACK SUN EXHIBITION
“Painting should be a seismograph of the person.”
The Black Sun paintings produced by Tadeus Blower are part of a series of work started in Spring 2019. Having been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the previous year, the paintings initially started as a frenzied response to a mix of emotions felt during the diagnosis, surgery and recovery period. Although seemingly dark, they pulsate with energy, holding a tension between positive and negative; recalibrating, trying to resolve and make sense of particular emotions, thoughts and feelings. They are painterly dramas that are as much about celebration, as they are about trauma. The brushwork is minimal; the paint is poured, splattered, scratched, and scraped; signifying a feeling of being slightly out of control. The meaning of the black circles that dominate most compositions is ambiguous, but most likely represent sudden realisations, the unknown, physical disruption, fear and an overwhelming heightening of senses. Nearly three years later, many of the original motifs have been reworked with multiple layers and textures, new experiences have happened, the meaning has shifted and become more universal.
“Painting should be a seismograph of the person.”
The Black Sun paintings produced by Tadeus Blower are part of a series of work started in Spring 2019. Having been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the previous year, the paintings initially started as a frenzied response to a mix of emotions felt during the diagnosis, surgery and recovery period. Although seemingly dark, they pulsate with energy, holding a tension between positive and negative; recalibrating, trying to resolve and make sense of particular emotions, thoughts and feelings. They are painterly dramas that are as much about celebration, as they are about trauma. The brushwork is minimal; the paint is poured, splattered, scratched, and scraped; signifying a feeling of being slightly out of control. The meaning of the black circles that dominate most compositions is ambiguous, but most likely represent sudden realisations, the unknown, physical disruption, fear and an overwhelming heightening of senses. Nearly three years later, many of the original motifs have been reworked with multiple layers and textures, new experiences have happened, the meaning has shifted and become more universal.
