Peter Matthews

A Painting that Trawled Through the Atlantic Ocean

2013. Steel, rust, polyester netting and diverse matter from the Atlantic Ocean.  3 paintings in series.

How can a painting go beyond just being a representation of something upon a flat surface. A Painting Trawled Through the Atlantic Ocean is an attempt to depart from visually recording something seen or felt out there in the ocean onto an object and instead to create a three dimensional spatial volume that can, within its form and structure, attract and hold the subject matter of the ocean. Each net painting, after being trawled by hand in the open ocean for hours, skimming the surface of the ocean and drawing below in its depths, collects a myriad range of matter, some of which is microscopic and some of which has more mass and scale. Each painting starts its odyssey of ocean matter collection being white, but after hours of activity - at times being snagged on the ocean floor, the painting changes dynamically in its visual appearance, noticeably in the patination of rust on its steel frame.

 Notions of scale and depth, form and mass are explored, image making and a dialogue between the ocean and the painting such as when the currents drag the presence of the painting away, or when the painting is pulled from the ocean floor to the surface.  To make a painting of the ocean with the ocean itself.