Walter Wall is back at Colonnade House with this latest collection of work; Fragments.
“It was early evening. I was asked to wait. So I sat down on the edge of the veranda. It was hot and the ground was dry. An ant wandered past. After a while more ants walked past. Then one returned holding part of a leaf. Soon there were two rows traveling in opposite directions. The returning line became a constant stream of moving fragments of leaf, some big, some small. Occasionally a whole twig would be carried past by a struggling group. I was keen to see where they were getting the leaves from and what they were going to do with them. Were they building an anthill? What form was it? Just as I was about to step into the garden and follow the trail the door opened. Inside I could see it was luxurious, even though the lighting was subdued. But that was the only glimpse I got as I was whisked off. We were late and the boat was waiting for us.”
I learn by doing and find the process often triggers ideas. It’s like exploring and playing all at the same time. Things are in a constant state of flux. Always fluid and evolving. I enjoy experimenting and the unexpected. It’s like a romance with the unknown.
My preferred means of exploring nowadays is mainly through abstraction. At times working through the process triggers an inspirational moment that stimulates analogies or concepts. This can lead to a series of explorations round a theme. For example, more recently I’ve been interested in ideas around fragments which came out of the way I was making a painting.
I’m not overly concerned with making my concepts or allusions apparent or obvious. I prefer the work to stand by itself; let the observer be taken wherever their mind goes and let their emotions and thoughts be stimulated by their own perceptions.
The few works shown here were made relatively recently. They can be considered as fragments of my artistic practice which in itself is just a small fragment of my lived experience.
