antony clarkson
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Apophenia:
​An Uncanny Presence.
2022

Picture
Whilst exploring painted spaces via my Personal Topographies series I was constantly aware that the next development in this painted process would be the introduction of abstract presences. Although I have been using the word presence to denote the manifestations in my work, I am now wondering if it is perhaps the best word to use. If the presence in question is always, pseudo human should I be considering the idea of anthropomorphism instead? Or perhaps in more global terms pareidolia? Or more properly apophenia? ​

Conscious vs Unconscious?

1/29/2023

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Picture

NN (Nomen Nescio) V: An Uncanny Presence.
Oil on canvas, 123 X 91 cm (48 x x36 inches).

When we observe anything how much of it us conscious and how much subconscious? When we encounter a traditional figurative painting we apparently analyse it with our conscious mind. It's a human figure, the figure is male, it has blue eyes. It has red hair and beard and a bandaged ear; its Vincent Van Gogh. But although those clues are obvious are we going consciously go through that process? No, of course not. Our eye see those details, our subconscious mind connects the dots and gives us an instant conclusion, we are looking at a painting of the artist.

Every day we can do the same with much subtler details and we do it every second of our lives. Even the slightest variations in the shade of blue of the eyes and the red of the hair can tell us the difference between Vincent Van Gogh and say Prince Harry. This is where our apophenia plays a positive role. 

But what about when the details are ambiguous? One persons blue eyes may be another grey.  Then our minds are left with a more uncertain field for our interpretation. There may be multiple clues, dots, but there may be more that one pattern that can be obtained through their connection.  And sometimes there may not be any real clues at all, except the ones that we want to perceive. 

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  • CODEX
    • plane >
      • Apophenia: An Uncanny Presence.
      • Control(s)
      • Personal Topographies
      • The Self-Isolation Residency
      • Americana
      • Mauve Skies
      • Scotland
      • Selected Drawing & Paintings,
      • The Teaching Years
      • Spatial Paintings 2006-2008
      • Paintings 2006
    • mass >
      • The Blind Men and the Elephant.
      • Spatial Conceptions 2014 - 2022
      • Painted Objects
      • Autograph
      • The Newtonian Nightmare
    • volume >
      • Enso nest
      • Someone else's storey
      • Shower, The Process Residency 2013,
      • Concrete Haiku
      • Atypical
      • The Murder of Crows.
      • Composition in White (Painting), The Breathe Residency:
      • Composition in White (Sculpture), The Breathe Residency:
      • Floorplan
      • Paper Scissors Rock
      • Pilgrimage
      • The Fifth Column
      • Tension
      • Arch
    • blogs >
      • The Self-Isolation Residency: Blog 2020-2021
      • Apophenia: An Uncanny Presence. 2022
    • artist statement
    • cv & education
    • contact