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

Apophenia:
An Uncanny Presence.
2022-

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?

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

1/20/2026

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'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

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Apophenia:
An Uncanny Presence.
2022-