Shane Cotton - Star Eater - COMMENT

(Is this ok?) I was supposed to be COMMENTING on the form of an image, but due to the lack of posts, I was wondering if I could create a post myself, and comment on the form, instead?

I was absent on the day of the trip to the galleries, so I had a look online, and the Michael Lett gallery grabbed my attention.


Comments

The image above (Star Eater, by Shane Cotton) almost reminds me of some artwork that I used to do at primary school. I'd apply colour with felt tips or paint to a blank piece of paper, covering the entire thing, leave it to dry, and then over the top I'd cover it in a layer of black pastel. Then, with my fingernails, a coin, or another object, I'd scratch out pictures and swirly patterns, that would result in creating a really interesting & unique image. His work reminds me of those childhood memories, which is partly why I enjoy this piece.

To me, this painting has childlike elements, with the swirling patterns & the flowing doodle-like appearance of the layout - yet despite the calculated fragmentation, many parts also cohere. An initial thought was that it also contained a Maori narrative, with the red/black/white colouring and the recognisable detailed designs (ones you'd see on Maori wood carvings) that are only seen with a close-eye. The glowing masses positioned against the darkened negative space reinforces this, and perhaps the suggestion of carved body parts. When at a distance from this painting, I can almost make out a face. The large object in the middle of the image being the nose, the two dark empty spaces at each side of it - the eyes, and the space underneath at the bottom of the image - the mouth, with a pattern that reminds me of jagged teeth.

This work definitely has some sort of symbolic or cultural coding. It holds a certain mystery that I cannot quite understand, and I like that.