Oliver Perry

I found a new phrase recently, ‘psychological cubism’ and I think that sums up what I’m going on about rather nicely. 

So, cubism in its purist form views things from multiple angles, giving you a 360 (almost topographical) view on a single plane. I do the same thing with psychologically fractured subjects.

I take the extremes of human emotion, and create expressive, fragmented figurative works that show minds and bodies gripped by (most often) an overwhelming inner fear. I’m particularly interested in the fragility of the flesh and the solitude of humans in the face of technical progress. The paintings come about almost by accident, a provocation from the lingering mania and disorder in our minds, ignited by the absurdities of modern life, the anxiety, depression and uncertainty that stem from the constant pressure to present our ‘best life’.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Quite the opposite. This interface between public and private contains immense energy, as I hope is clear in the work. It’s there, dare I say it, as we search for the demons buried deep inside, dragging the carcass of our prejudice and hatred behind us, that I see the opportunity to explore. The result, of course, is discomfort, the disconnect between inside and out is painful, but it’s expressed with what I hope is a suitably dark humour. I want to unsettle the viewer. It is a somewhat gruesome journey into the dark energy of the subconscious, the modern psyche: fragmented, lost, wrapped in colour.

Geometric abstraction: the fight for control.

The paintings I describe above take a lot of emotional commitment, they are quite draining to do, despite (or maybe because of) the energy they contain. What is vaguely interesting (for me at least) has been to find a counterpoint that is more rejuvenating, more experimental and somewhat lighter in tone than this figurative ‘psychological cubist’ work.

A long time ago I asked for some advice on where my work was heading and was told I was answering a question that was asked 70 years ago, and that I should do something more contemporary.

Which stung, as you can imagine. On the one hand the psychological cubism evolved out of this, but so too did a second strand of work: abstract geometric figures. I was researching contemporary art, and readings of it as a series of squares, triangles and circles interested me in particular.

So I embarked on a journey to see where it would take me. The work became quite mathematical for a time – and I’m rubbish at maths – but things like the golden ratio, golden section and wave theory, all began to play a major part in the compositions. Then the artistic side took over and the pieces have become became more embellished and freer flowing over time.

The geometric elements fight for space amongst more organic, experimental techniques. Order amongst chaos. Perhaps, if I were to speculate wildly, it has something to do with trying to control elements of our lives that we have no control over, or having the illusion of control, but what’s clear for me is that these paintings still search for an aesthetic and speak about the moment.