http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMay 2020 17
around 50kg! I make all my stretchers
and then think of an image for that
specific canvas.’
Involuntarylism
Michael has evolved a unique painting
method that he calls 'Involuntarylism',
in which an artist's knowledge and
experience emerges through an
instinctive approach to the application
of materials. ‘I believe atmospheric
subject matter benefits from energetic,
physical and confident painting.
The concept behind my paintings
completely relies on the idea of
involuntary mark making, how the
materials react with one another and
how I go about applying them to the
canvas. With this concept in mind,
nature is the perfect subject as a base
for experimentation.
The idea of Involuntarylism is allowing
the characteristics of the paint, plus
gravity, to produce the marks, creating
organic patterns, atmosphere and
substantiation, allowing the painting to
have a life of its own. As all my paintings
are made on the floor, Involuntarylism
is subject to me “puppeteering” the
paint – using gravity and learned
knowledge of the materials and past
experiences to create the painting. My
involvement is purely to manipulate the
paint, canvas, colours and consistencies
so as to exaggerate as strongly as
possible the resulting organic textures
and marks. This method arose purely
because of enjoyment, surprise and
a sense of risk that I am cursed with!
I love watching all the materials start
eating at each other, being repelled
by each other. There are always great
shocks and I am always surprised, as
long as I don't start fiddling. There has
to be the perfect balance between the
artist's hand and the nature of the paint
- the more experienced I become, the
less my hand shows itself. It's a very
interesting way to paint. For example,
I have been painting with gold leaf
recently. I can spend hours layering the
gold leaf on a giant canvas. After a few
days of that, I mix paints and throw this
mix over the top. If mixed correctly, the
paint separates, showing the gold leaf
below; if it doesn’t separate, I have to
start again. It’s a great feeling when a
huge risk like this pays off. Using this
p English Gold No. 11, gold leaf, oil and acrylic on canvas, 71 3 63in (180 3 160cm).
‘To date, this is one of my favourite gold leaf paintings. I wanted to show the different levels of
breaking waves and the spume produced over the top of the gold leaf. I wanted to use blues
with the gold, keeping the strong contrast between the oil, the gold and the white acrylic,
without losing the energy of the sea and the spontaneity of my painting.’u Cornwall Rocks No. 2, oil and acrylic on
canvas, 63 3 613/4in (160 3 157cm).
‘I used studio brooms to imitate a rolling wave
and tilted the canvas as the paint was drying
to replicate a receding wave. I’m pleased with
the movement obtained in this piece.’