<![CDATA[antony clarkson - Apophenia: An Uncanny Presence. 2022]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:24:46 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 20. 'Of Orphic Personation'.]]>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:28:34 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part-20-of-orphic-personation
Picture

​'OfOrphic Personation'.
Oil on canvas, 37 x 2.5 inches (94 x 70 cms).

How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 20. 'Of Orphic Personation'.

Orphic: having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding. Mysterious, mystic, mystical, occult, secret, esoteric.

Personation: the act of falsely assuming the identity, character, or appearance of another person.
Impersonation, portrayal, enactment, characterization.

The final element of the triptych is completed through the act of naming. As may be observed, the titles of the three paintings share a deliberate structural and thematic continuity. In each case, the second term, following the recurring preposition “Of” (“Delphic,” “Sibylline,” and “Orphic”), draws upon traditions of ancient Greek mysticism, prophecy, and divine revelation. These terms reference interconnected strands within the study of ancient Greek religion, particularly its oracular practices and esoteric belief systems, all of which engage with the notion of concealed or sacred knowledge.

The concluding term of each title, ("Persona,” “Personification,” and “Personation”), derives from the Latin persona, meaning mask. These closely related concepts concern the articulation or embodiment of identity, whether through the attribution of human qualities to abstract ideas or through the assumption of roles and performed selves. Collectively, they evoke a productive ambiguity between authenticity and artifice, subject and representation.

Taken together, the titles establish a conceptual dialogue between Greek traditions of hidden revelation and Latin-inflected notions of performed identity. While they share common etymological and philosophical ground, each introduces a subtle variation in emphasis, reinforcing both the unity and the internal differentiation of the triptych.

]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 19. 'Of Unspecified Constitution'.]]>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:34:48 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part-19-of-unspecified-constitution
Picture

'Of Unspecified Constitution.
Oil on canvas, 27.5 x 20.5 inches (70  x 52cms). 

​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 19. 'Of Unspecified Constitution'.

Unspecified: Not explicitly stated; not mentioned; not detailed. Vague, anonymous, unmentioned, undetermined, unidentified, uncertain.
​
Constitution: The composition of something. Composititon, make-up, structure, organisation, construction.

Various people have already shared feedback on this piece, as I’ve been posting photos of it as a work in progress. It has been both fascinating and genuinely helpful to see how differently people interpret what they see in my work. Often, the motifs are linked to three-dimensional forms. In this case, however, many observers feel the piece is more reminiscent of text or calligraphy. I find that shift in perception particularly interesting.
As usual, there was no specific intention on my part to suggest anything distinctly two- or three-dimensional. The forms evolved organically, without a predetermined narrative or reference. If you have any thoughts about what you see here, please don’t hesitate to share them with me. I truly value the dialogue and the different perspectives you bring.
 

]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 18. 'Of Sibllyne Personification'.]]>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:14:02 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part-18-of-sibllyne
Picture

'Of Sibylline  Personification'.
Oil on canvas, 37 x 2.5 inches (94 x 70 cms).

How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part18. 'Of Sibylline Personification.'

Sibylline: relating to or characteristic of a sibyl; prophetic and mysterious. Mysterious, esoteric, cryptic, impenetrable.



Personification: the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form. Manifestation, image, avatar, essence, embodiment.

This is the second piece is part of a triptych that I have been working on for some time. Second? First? Third? There is no definate order to the pieces of this triptych. They all relate but they are also all their own thing. 

]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 17. 'Of Enigmatic Essence'.]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:03:22 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part-17-of-enigmatic-essence
Picture

'Of Enigmatic Essence'.
Oil on canvas, 27.5 x 20.5 inches (70  x 52cms). 

How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 17. 'Of Enigmatic Essence'.

Enigmatic: a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand. Mystery, puzzle, riddle, conundrum, paradox.

Essence: a property or group of properties of something without which it would not exist or be what it is.  Core, soul, spirit, ethos, nature.
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This has been a very interesting painting for me. Throughout it's creation I have felt it's presence very strongly. Without it being anything specific it really has become something to me. I will actually miss it's presence on my easel, day by day I have looked forward to working on this piece.
]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part16. 'Of Arcane Semblance'.]]>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:44:19 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part16-of-arcane-semblance
Picture

'Of Arcane Semblance'.
Oil on canvas, 37 x 27.5 inches (94 x 70 cms).

How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part16. 'Of Arcane Semblance'.

Arcane: understood by few; mysterious or secret. Esoteric, abstruse, recherché, inscrutable, cryptic.

Semblance: the outward appearance or apparent form of something. Appearance, guise, pretense, facade. veneer.

This has been an interesting painting to work on. I was so fascinated by how one of my previous paintings, 'Of Esoteric Appearance', functioned that I wanted to experiment with another similar work. There have been times when I wasn't sure that it would 'work', but in the end I'm very pleased with the outcome. Please follow the link to compare the two paintings: 
https://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part-5-of-esoteric-appearance


]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part15. 'Of Delphic Persona'.]]>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:36:29 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part15-of-delphic-persona
Picture

'Of Delphic Persona'.
Oil on canvas, 37 x 27.5 inches (94 x 70 cms).

How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part15. 'Of Delphic Persona.'
 
Delphic: relating to the ancient Greek oracle at Delphi. Typically, deliberately obscure or ambiguous. Ambiguous, cryptic, mystic, obscure.
 
Persona: the outer or assumed aspect of character. A role or character adopted by an author, actor, etc. Character, personality, image, facade, guise.
 
​This piece is part of a triptych that I have been working on for some time. Although I say triptych, the relationships between the 3 paintings work in different ways. All can be thought of as individual paintings, but also as a part of a whole. Their order when exhibited together is also variable, denying any, one painting a greater significance in any perceived hierarchy. These variables have resulted in some challenges regarding the completion of the work.  There has always felt like more, or sometimes less was needed to find a balance. But now I'm definitely there with this piece and not far off with the other two.



​
]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part14. 'Of Implausible Objecthood'.]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:43:49 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part14-of-implausible-objecthood
Picture

'Of Implausible Objecthood'.
Oil on canvas, 37 x 27.5 inches (94 x 70cms).

 ​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part14. 'Of Implausible Objecthood.'

Implausible: not seeming reasonable or probable; failing to convince. Unlikely, improbable, far-fetched. questionable.

Objecthood: the state or quality of being a physical object, emphasizing its presence,  Materiality, substancehood, thingness. 

Objecthood, now there is an art word if ever there was one. Although not technically coined by him the word/idea gained traction within art theory via Michael Fried's 1967 essay "Art and Objecthood," It is a word that has 'surrounded' a number of my sculptures and installations and now I find it a very appropriate way to consider this series of paintings. I'm not going into more detail at present, (why would I?) but I think I may well be returning to this notion in the near future. 
]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part13. 'Of Insoluble  Assemblage.']]>Thu, 04 Dec 2025 18:48:39 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part13-of-insoluble-assemblage
Picture

'Of Insoluble Assemblage.'
Oil on canvas, 37 x 27.5 inches (94 x 70cms).

​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part13. 'Of Insoluble  Assemblage.'

Insoluble:  impossible to solve. Baffling, Impenetrable,  unfathomable,  unresolvable. 

Assemblage: a group of persons or things gathered or collected. Custer, mass, aggregation, conglomeration.

This painting has been a journey as they say, both for it and for me. It has had several radical repaintings along the way. I guess in many ways that I didn't have as clear a vision of the piece until right at the end, when after the last revamp it all came together with a rush and I knew exactly where it was. 
]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part12. 'Of Vague Resemblance.']]>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:58:34 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part12-of-vague-semblance
Picture

​'Of Vague Resemblance.'
Oil on canvas, 37 x 27.5 inches (94 x 70cms).

 ​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part12. 'Of Vague Resemblance.'

Vague: uncertain, indefinite, unclear. Not clearly expressed, known, identified or decided.

Resemblance: a way in which two or more things are alike. Analogy, likeness, similarity, similitude.

Today I finally post the painting which has been so close to being finished for so long. In the early days this painting began to come together in a rush, so though it was eager for completion. but the last few weeks have been something of a struggle. There was clearly something else that needed to be considered. In the end the time taken for that consideration has now paid off.
]]><![CDATA[​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part11.'Of Dubitable Embodiment.']]>Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.antonyclarkson.com/apophenia-an-uncanny-presence-2022/how-to-talk-about-a-painting-without-saying-anything-at-all-part11of-dubitable-embodiment
Picture

​'Of Dubitable Embodiment.'
Oil on canvas, 37 x 27.5 inches (94 x 70cms).

​​How to talk about a painting without saying anything at all Part 11. 'Of Dubitable Embodiment.'

Dubitable: possible to doubt: possibly not true. Arguable, controversial, contentious.  

Embodiment: a tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling. Representation, incarnation, paradigm. 

I'm not going to say anything about this painting as a representation of anything, but I will say a few words about its journey to this point; it's been tough. As I look at this painting now I can't believe where it has arrived. For anybody who thinks painting, real painting is easy just try it sometime. People joke about brush strokes being torn from an artists soul, I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but they can certainly test the limits of your endurance. There were times when it felt like it was 'me or it', fortunately we finally came to an agreement. 
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