Like politics the medium of Painting is a contrary best and worst friend. But what have these got in common? Brexit, Remain,Independence for Scotland and the medium of Painting? Here's a brief answer, they all have brought great energy and new inspiration that has jumped-started us all out of our complacency and lethargy. We've learnt to question accepted 'truths' and we will never be the same again. So what motivated us to re-question our status quo? The DNA of'change your life by taking your life by the scruff of the neck or else?', the Thatcherite message of the 1980's? Or the iconaclastic New Labour that said 'Forget your social economic status and reject all pigeon holing by self transformation - a very British lifeblood that encircled Britain could be the muse of change?!! The seas that surround us are our stamp of quintessential Britain so lets start trading in and on our advantage, but not via the backdoor but through the front door of celebrating our very shores of definition, as we all displayed in the precursor to the discussion of 'Britishness' based upon the Spirit of the London Olympics ! Let us marry our new and old nations and ethnicity's by being bold and positive, to take up arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing them' end them Shouldn't any law be upgraded if it is no longer serving the broad brush stroke of a united Britain?
In my particular line of work I Paint. But this much maligned medium in its present state of obscurity is the perfect example for change! It has physical borders and unfashionable formalistic enemies in the Art World, but its boundaries are enshrined by frames not by boxed-in restrictiveness. Why is it so avant-garde to Britain? Because the the UK is, like a canvas, is the portal to the Universe, a vision that opens up not closes down or snuffles out.Science and Arts are trying to unravel the secrets of the Universe by trying to find out how the Universe started and how it will end. Through human endeavour rather than human perfection we are discovering the Big Bang and an ever growing and expanding Universe as well as the future contraction of the Universe into an intense ball of such density and such power that we are able to reach-out to billions of years in advance and crown our future with infinite calculation and fundamental understanding of our place in it all. This potential for Art can be likened to a frame of the future not a tomb. But what a challenge to put all the Universe into a finite canvas? Painting would have to be its own self-sustaining nuclear reactor of Art and not a country cousin. But the possibilities for creative image making inspired by the laws of infinity and the laws of specific concentration on a restrictive but hugely mind blowing revelation about a true universe of infinite original image making is unique. Say goodbye to fusion and say hello to Painterly fission. So here lies the great metaphor of our day to be found in the backwaters of contemporary Fine Art : human imperfection and the unique but fallible human experience of life to be subjected to the laws of paradox, humbled and resurrected to form a new dialogue with our self-determination on these isles in the northern realms of Europe. We don't have to belong to a club whose membership will cost us our self-determination even if constitutional sovereignty is no where as absolute as we'd like it to be. Indeed, if the sacrifices and risks put people off from becoming Painter's, and the stigma of being autonomous from the fashionable Art circles lead many to chickening-out, then let them take the easy route and the respectable lifestyle and choose an easier medium !! No wonder Brexiteer's can share some sympathy with those who lead the charge for change and not the risk averse convenience of mediocrity. If Painter's are to be understood not as cavaliers but as pragmatists rubbing shoulders with their contribution for change. There is no pre-nup to life ,only a divorce from second chances. There is only one fear for change and that is getting a change that is imposed upon us all - the SNP will call for a harder Remain or a softer Remain than is palatable to the palettes of all Remainers in the UK, if there was a 2nd Referendum with a 'Remain' result, to get Scottish independence. We also know that Scotland will demand independence if Brexit is successful. That actually torpedoes all English chances of Remain because of Scottish nationalism. Is this a 'V' sign as a parting 'gift' to all the English, that Nationalism in Scotland enforces hard Toryism in England? So here lies the obituary for the Remain vote everywhere but in the SNP. Nationalism has never been so busy! Perhaps it's all the rage Vladimir? Or will the SNP actually entrench the Scottish identity by ruling from Edinburgh by knifing in the back Labour party in what will be left of the UK after SNP devious plotting? Will Labour be reduced to 'de facto' eternal opposition? opposition?