Mahatma

Minimalist painting on canvas, with collaged elements, from an extended series of 'White Paintings'; evolved as a result of a long process of addition and reduction. Paint and other materials are layered on to the picture plane and progressively removed and manipulated; the 'plastic' nature of the surface is paramount, as a 'terrain' to be explored within a deliberately shallow pictorial space. Whilst titles are essentially nominal, this work alludes in a generic manner to Indian culture and tradition and the title specifically to the philosopher and political activist Mahatma Gandhi. Other than this, there are deliberately, few external references or hints of a physical context.