David Fitzjohn

My paintings in appearance are abstract, but are conceived as a combination of juxtaposed figurative elements, which are then camouflaged by imposing a strict systematic approach to the development of the work. Through this organised process, disparate narrative images connect and combine, creating an optical, formal, abstracted whole. Through the use of carefully selected figurative imagery I am exploring the function of memory, story telling and belief systems, together with ideas of manipulation, perception and deception. The juxtaposition and overlaying of images is crucial to the development of these ideas. Suggestions are created but full meanings are camouflaged, obscured, creating intentional ambiguity, uncertainty and unease. Over time I have developed a calculated system of constructing an image that mirrors my thought process. The technique I employ allows me to reiterate the melding of multifaceted identities into a unified whole. I build the paintings up using layers of highly saturated colour. By imposing grids and contour lines over figurative elements, I break down definition of individual forms, merging and unifying the picture space. Once set up, the system takes over. I methodically fill shapes, overlaying the whole surface with continuous lines of a pre-set colour palette. The lines and colour combinations create a disruptive optical effect, which I hope physically represents the diffused and fractured nature of perception. A duality exists both visually and conceptually within my work. Physically, it can be perceived as flat and decorative, yet a strong sense of spatial depth also occurs created by optical colour and the obscured overlaying of disjointed imagery. The choice and use of imagery combined with process sets up a discussion of universal themes, yet the paintings also operate on a purely formal level. They are about the language of colour and its powerful, manipulative and seductive nature.