Notes on development: Current paintings, 2024
Springtime
Since 1986, I have linked the development of my artwork to projects that highlight societal, scientific, and medical issues. This approach allows me to access resources directly and create works that reflect the life events I’ve experienced. It also provides analytical insights and fresh perspectives on the challenges and complexities people may face at some point in their lives.
Since the mid-1990s, my paintings have explored the themes of chance and control, inspired by a near-death experience. This practice has evolved and influenced my engagement with a wide range of unconventional media, shaping my expectations of how a painting can interact with the space it occupies. I believe that drawing and painting are vital for understanding and expressing both oneself and the world we live in within mainstream culture.
Preparation: Sealed canvas frameworks are built to contain quantities of various liquid composites that have been carefully prepared. I work intuitively, applying the solutions at precise intervals, sometimes scratching into and ripping away at the surface. As the work dries over time, layered applications and submerged forms reveal an emergence of tension in the struggle for change. The process doesn’t allow the same result twice; instead, it’s about demonstrating what’s possible on the journey.
Background: In 1990, after returning from research in the Comoros Islands, I was diagnosed with Group A streptococcus septicaemia (GAS). This experience sparked my interest in exploring the origins of pathogens and bacteria. The research I covered in microbial structure and function at the CBCB between 2016 and 2019 continues to provide a fresh perspective on the complexities of life. It informs the development of art, product choice, and actions on the surface. It adds dimension to the interactive qualities of the work as a public installation.
Aim: The goal is to collaborate with a curator on developing ideas for exhibiting the paintings in a public installation that interacts with the spaces they inhabit. Working in science labs has inspired new ways of presenting the work to the public.
Current work—Inside the studio: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/item/inside-the-studio-spring-2024/
John Millard: CBCB review: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/artist-at-the-cbcb/
Dr Outi Remes: Processing Paintings: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/item/processing-paintings/?cat=84
Derek Hill YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@derekhill5586
Film archive: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/films/
Further information: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/about-derek-hill/
Work Collection: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/
