What is it about “perfection”? Surely it has to be about the beauty of paint? Surely it has to be about the emotion of a mark, about the flaw, the imperfection? if you want perfectly applied flat colour go get a graphic designer or better still, a computer. If you want your artists to be sterile and “perfect”, if you want slickness over soul then you loose the glory of a drop or a scratch, the energy of a mark made in that instant right there when palette knife sliced through or the brush slashed canvas, if it all becomes about slick technique rather than emotion then count me out. All these art galleries full of slick graphic design and people pouring over pieces looking for tiny “mistakes” in the painting. I want “mistakes”!, I want texture I want the celebration of paint, the humanity of a mark made in the excitement of the moment, I want to see the movement of at the mark maker, that instant discussion, that emotion committed, that gamble, that risk taken, the pure pleasure of painting, that pleasure found i moving paint and playing with colour. “Why don’t you ever paint properly?” he said as he closed in. I love paint, I love the way it moves, I love the way it reacts, the way it challenges, the way the paint defies you, dares you. If you want “perfect” then don’t come here, slickness is the enemy of art, is you want to anally pour over a bit of soulless graphic design this isn’t the place for you, paint is a glorious thing, art shouldn’t be perfect, painting is about emotion, why would anyone want perfectly flat colour?

This piece has been evolving since the start of the year, a piece called “Found it at The Welfare Store” (2018)Acrylic, spray paint, gloss varnish on found canvas (125cm x 90cm). The canvas was found in a skip in Hackney last year, and when a canvas is thrown out then leaves and layers will grow on it, sometimes starz will as well (with a z of course, you’ve rock six times), the canvas had very little painted on the front of it but quite a bit written on the back. It was exhibited at the Intent show last week, I imagine nothing else will grow on it before it gets to be in a show again, but then a painting is never quite finished until someone takes it away.