Terry Long imagery

Sonatascape No.8 / 2013 / Terry Long

Action painting is an emotional and gestural way of painting which is associated with abstract expressionism. It was championed in the 1940s, 50, and 60s by the New York school of painters, such as Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, and Willem de Kooning. My recent painting above relates very  closely to action painting, similar to the work of Jackson Pollock,  but I created Sonatascape No.8 above by light trailing in a darkened studio for about 30 seconds, while a digital camera that I had set up recorded the rapid movements of the several coloured lights that I was drawing and painting with. The process seems like alchemy, or a magical trick when you draw and paint in the air. For Sontascape No.8, and my other action paintings shown in this article, the camera was mounted on a tripod in a fixed position, the aperture was set at f2, and several LED lights were used to draw and paint with.

Jackson Pollock painting

This is a black and white photograph of Jackson Pollock working in his Long Island studio. His painting method was to place his work on the floor and quickly drip and flick the paint, while moving around the entire work piece. I tend to see his paintings as a therapeutic outlet for this often angry and frustrated man. I also see his work as a symbol of the freeing up of American society in the 1950s and 60s, at least in it’s younger generation. Pollock was inspired by Janet Sobel who is considered by some to be the very first action painter, but she became overshadowed by Pollock.

Milky Way / 1945 / Janet Sobel

The Milky Way by Sobel is in the collection of MoMA, New York, but sadly not on current view. It was created with enamel paints dripped onto the canvas while blowing air across the surface. You can find a bit more information about here…   http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.phpartist_id=5503

Convergence / 1952 / Jackson Pollock

If you would like to try painting like Jackson Pollock, but without all the mess of dripping and flying paint, you can have fun and do it digitally here…http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

If you want to find out more about Jackson Pollock, check out these two links… http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/artists/bios/963 and…http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4675

Configuration No.2 / 2013 / Terry Long

Most artists follow in the footsteps of the artists before them, at least for a while, until they find themselves. When you have a creative block, using other artists work as a springboard can be a good starting point. I have been experimenting with action painting, but instead of using paint, I am using the medium of drawing and painting with light, or as I have been calling it recently, light trailing (it’s not such a mouthful). Light trailing is a perfect medium for action painting, plus there is no drying time, or clean up!  The very best part is the creative freedom of being able to experiment with the digital variations that can be applied, without loosing the original. Sobel and Pollock did not have this luxury when they created their work . For now I am following in their footsteps perhaps, but with a digital medium that has many creative possibilities to move in many more directions

Helter Skelter No.1 / 2013 / Terry Long

This image is what appeared on the camera screen after my 25 seconds of action drawing and painting with several coloured LED lights in front of the camera lense. In No.2, 3 and 4, you will see the same image, but with various digital Photoshop effects.

Helter Skelter No.2 / 2013 / Terry Long

The find edges effect has given version No.2 a look of a pastel or chalk drawing.

Helter Skelter No.3 / 2013 / Terry Long

By using the fresco effect, and making a few other changes, I achieved a more painterly effect in No.3.

Helter Skelter No.4 / 2013 / Terry Long

 The cut-out effect was used on No.4, plus other changes in colour and tonal range. The image appears more flat and graphic as if looking at a map.