Page 9 - LandEscape Interview

Paul McCloskey
ment, your work has been inspired with what
we perceive as everyday and perhaps ordi-
nary, the places we merely glance at without
allowing ourselves to get lost in the breath-
taking creation and beauty that surrounds
us...
And since our magazine is entitled "Land-
Escape" I couldn't do without asking you: what
is the significance of the landscape and -in a
wider meaning, of the background- in your Art
practice?
Any and all subjects can be the catalyst to express
divinity, which is ultimately what my work is
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about, but in recent years I have focussed on
landscape as the means in which to do that.
Although my Alpha and Omega is often perceived
as abstract their source is founded on my sur-
rounding landscape.
A sweeping ‘curve’ leading to the vortex of the
landscape has emerged in my work, its physical
influence partly relates to my surroundings of the
Monaghan, Wicklow and Wexford landscape, of hills,
deep valleys and sweeping lines, I feel it adds
considerably to the drama and movement in my
paintings, giving an organic, almost panoramic
sense of depth to the paintings.
Bringing all things together, textural, atmospheric,
dark, light and gold causing a tension and cohesion,
shaping volatile qualities that transcend the two
dimensional surface of the canvas and in the
Omega series this is taken quite literally into the
third dimension. The wider meaning is best descri-
bed in my opening statement; the landscape is ever
changing, seasonally and on a moment to moment
basis with the shifting and ephemeral light, syno-
nymous with the Irish weather, this transient land-
scape reminds and persuades us to take a second
glance at what we thought was familiar and observe
with fresh eyes the ongoing beauty of creation,
seeing what we may perceive as ordinary to be in
fact the most enlightening.
The Omega (Awakenings 3D Green) - oil on board