Life in the world's last rainforest, 2009

The theme for the 2010 Beijing Biennale is “Environmental Concern and Human Existence”. They’ve invited artists from all over the world to submit works that represent their interpretation of the theme. I thought I would have a go at it.

In this piece, greens and blues blend to represent the Forest tapestry. Abstracted life forms float in the complexity. If you look carefully you will see the abstracted forms of leaves, a butterfly, a caterpillar, a plant with fruit, a plant with flower, a tree trunk with roots, mushrooms and a fish bone. At a glance the forms are almost unrecognizable but only in detail study do they emerge from the background. This is on purpose. Most of the life forms in some of the world’s last stands of primeval rainforest (forests practically untouched by human presence) face extinction. Many of them are unknown to science. The painting is a window meant to highlight the concern we ought to have about global deforestation.

Rainforests are the lungs of our planet; choking from the smoke of “progress”. The cure for cancer could lurk somewhere in the World’s last rainforest.

So I hope the painting gets selected to be shown at the Beijing Biennale. If not, it doesn’t really matter as it already has a home in China.

Title: Life in the world's last rainforest

Completion year: 2009

Materials; Acrylic and Jamaican Coast Black Sand on Canvas

Dimensions: Approx. 4.5' x 5'

The Space between the Divide, 2009

The point of this piece is to get people to think about dividing spaces/concepts. Its amazing when you think of it:- an atom, was once thought to be indivisible… but now we know about protons and neutrons. Then we thought they were indivisible… until we found out about quarks… (not to mentions the bosons and fermions and all the other fancy members of the sub-atomic particle soup).

But is there really anything that is truly empty? In my earlier post (The Move) I described the fact that yeah … whatever space there is … there is something that fills it. But to advance a slightly different concept … if we can see the "divide" as that which makes us different… then peer just a little further.. we could see that’s what’s special.

Imagine a world populated by your clones… and getting up everyday talking, working, and playing only with you.

Imagine a room with stark white walls, no furniture and no human contact. It would drive you insane.

What would happen if everyone in the world decided they wanted to become a football player… or be a lawyer… or an entertainer? Who would they play to, defend in court or entertain?

In that moment of looking at this painting and saying … ahhh pretty (I hope)… also think… maybe it’s some of those things that separate us (and makes us different)

THAT MAKES LIFE SO BEAUTIFUL,
AND SO FULL!!

Title: "The Space between the Divide"

Date of completion: 2009

Materials: Acrylic and Jamaican South Coast Black Sand on Canvas

Dimensions : approx. 5' by 6'

Photo credits: B. Bandy

Photo location: Ritz Carlton, Montego Bay, Jamaica (Oct, 2009)

Formation, 2007

In Geology a formation describes a distinct rock unit that can be mapped. So in a way it represents a quantum of sorts. If you had to map your life… what would you say were your most treasured memories?

The word formation also implies the process of creating something. What do you want to create for yourself and others? It might not be a painting or sculpture, or a song, or a great piece of literature but everything we do CREATES something and has rippling consequences for those around us.

Lets strive for good karma!

Title: "Formation"
Date of completion: 2006/7
Materials: Acrylic and Jamaican South Coast Black Sand on Paper
Dimensions : approx. 9.5" by 12"

"The Universe of Strings – Yellow", 2006

Astronomy strikes again! Like any other artist so much of my inner preferences get expressed in my Art. After all… I could never be expressing anyone else but myself…. in some way, shape or form lol. When I was growing up, I wanted nothing more in life but to be an Astrophysicist. It turns out my realised profession would have me concerned with far more local things. It is true, however, to say that half of my time then was spent looking down (at rocks and animals) and the other half up (at the stars).

The Universe of Strings – Yellow is one of my paintings concerned with the abstract expression of some of the yearnings of both cosmologists and physicists. String Theory (in very simplistic terms) seeks to find that single theory connecting all the laws of physics and chemistry together with general relativity (a sort of theory of everything). Despite how much we (think we) know about the nature of the Universe and what is in it, there is still a huge disconnect between how things behave on a macro and micro level. We are told only a handful of people in the world can truly claim to understand quantum mechanics (me not being one of them). However, for us more ordinary folk who struggle to understand how light can be both particle and wave and how Schroedinger’s cat can be both dead and alive, we can all still appreciate the Universe’s ultimate duality which is Nature itself– stunningly simple and yet beautifully complex (in the same instant).

Title: "The Universe of Strings – Yellow"

Date of completion: 2006

Materials: Acrylic and Jamaican South Coast Black Sand on Paper

Dimensions : approx. 9.5" by 12"

So what is Synesthesia anyway?

If you hear a really loud sound do you see a flash of colour? If you saw a videotape of a crash or flying birds without the sound… can you hear the crash or the birds fly anyway?
Can you hear butterflies flying or a rabbit hopping? If you answered yes to any of these questions you could have Synesthesia.

Synesthesia occurs when the brain inter-mingles the senses. There are many kinds … too numerous to explain (you can always read the Wikipedia article on it if you want to know more). In my instance…. I can answer yes to all the questions above, plus some more. Mostly, I can sometimes hear what I see and sometimes I can see what I hear. Not really sure how this came about. Mozart is said to have suffered from this kind of synesthesia and described certain notes as having particular colours. For me, my cross-perceptions are not that specific. For some strange reason, the number 5 is blue for me. Not 1, 2, 3 or 235... no other colour has a colour association. But for me 5 is blue (which is my favourite colour).

Some of my paintings have allusions to Synesthesia. One in particular “Crescendo” is entirely music put to canvas. The funny thing is … it was not inspired by any specific musical piece at all. But each time I see it … I can hear the painting sing back at me. “Painting the Sounds” is another. I will feature both in separate posts to come.

Have fun!

Image Title: Choir of colours

Medium: Digital photography

Dimensions: n/a

Copyright: G. C. Gunter

Kandinsky, Mathematics in Art and the odd fact about the funny number 9.

9


In two weeks time the Guggenheim (New York) will have a show on Kandinsky. If you have the opportunity then do not miss it!

Apart from being in love with Kandinsky’s colours.. (the way he framed landscapes in his own tilted fashion was genius in itself), when I gaze at his geometric works I often can’t help but think instantly of math. I sometimes cease to see shapes but have a rush of thoughts with numbers… triangle 5..acute angle linear relationship dissecting relationships, proportion (there is a flood of these thoughts concerning mathematical relationships).

Not many of us stop to take note of just how much math there is in Art. Architects know this well. No one can study math nowadays without learning about fractal geometry and the intense and infinitely complex beauty these formulae create. Who knows what the future of computing will allow us to see.

I’ll end by sharing an odd mathematical fact which my mother taught me years ago. It’s not often I hear people repeating it but I’m sure your mathematician friends either already know it or will be very amused by it. It concerns the funny number nine. As a rule… the sum of the product of any number multiplied by 9 is 9. It works like this (I’ll give you two examples):

1. 9 x 9 = 81, 8 + 1 = 9.

2. 9 x 4896 = 44064
4+4+0+6+4 = 18
8+1 = 9

Have fun!

These words could save your life!

One day while driving in traffic I was behind a young man (in a moderately sporty car) emblazoned with words on the back windshield that said … “Exercise Everyday!” it got me thinking. It was admirable, I mused, that he chose to promote something positive instead of some baseless message. Its perhaps uncommon (nowadays).

Then my thoughts turned to Art and its power to move people emotionally and to influence them intellectually. Much of my art is concerned with just that (mostly emotional). In the viewer, I want to stir something or touch some place in awakening it. Perhaps not all of us, being different, will appreciate the same kinds of Art but surely most of us can connect to the human condition that seeks to bask in the warmth of the creative spark.

Art has the power to influence. Artist(e)s must responsibly use the influence they have.
So in my small way I wanted to bring you this message.

Remember to get your mammogram!! Have your prostate examined!! and do what ever else to make sure you are well. If you do not care about you then it’s hard to ask other people to. Right now we are in an economic crisis and many people are sidelining their own wellbeing in the pursuit of simply getting by. Don’t put aside your own quality of life for getting by right now.

If you get a mammogram done and there is an abnormality HAVE IT TESTED! If you feel a small lump and you know it doesn’t belong HAVE IT TESTED. If the doctor tells you not to worry about it. GET A SECOND OPPINION WHICH YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ANYWAY! This has saved people and on the reverse not following up can have bad!! consequences.

Guys you may not like it but if you know you’re at risk do your check-ups on your prostate. Feel your balls for stuff that doesn’t belong! I remember registering for a doctor in the UK and having her ask me "have you ever heard of Testicular self examination?" I said no what is that… she explained and I said oh yeah … I know that ..Tom Green made a song about it. [Tom Green is a Canadian comedian (used to be on MTV) who was diagnosed with testicular cancer].

Awareness might be half the battle but following through with actions makes all the difference. So what ever it is that you know you should be doing (like wrapping it up when you’re getting down).. DO IT! Visit and support a local museum of Art and get lost in the beauty of life.

Oh and last but certainly not least (since hypertension and heart disease are leading killers)

EXCERCISE EVERYDAY!