The Artwork
Spring Heal Jack consists of two framed canvases, both 100 x 120cm. Framed in two brushed silver frames. Spring Heel Jack has been painted on heavy weight acrylic primed canvas with a mixture of oil based gloss paints.
About the Artwork
Spring Heel Jack was painted to Spring Heel Jack’s (John Coxon and Ashley Wales’s) 1995 debut album ‘There Are Strings’.
Painting Spring Heel
I loved painting to this album, it really gave me a great vibe to paint too. The artwork was painted on one long canvas, when it was dry it was then divide into two to produce the framed diptych you see here. This painting was painted in two sessions, the lower third, the almost sea looking section was the last painted layer. I had in mind that the second session would produce a sea like swell and movement to the bottom of the piece, to give movement and depth.
When I very first decided on painting to ‘There Are Strings’ I really did visualise that it had to be mainly monochromes, but produced in such a way to give a feel of the balanced staccato movement of the album with hidden shades of colour within the shades of grey. I was really drawn towards placing small amounts of colour within the piece to add to the interesting quirky detail the music has. I mixed a tampered pink, a green, mauve, blue, and violet for main accent colours. Then I mixed several tinted grey's with delicate colours so your eye would be rewarded with subtle colour movements on closer inspection. Relaxed symmetry, as with most of my work was an important factor too, as you can see in the final work
It is really hard to get a feel for how my work really looks in a picture, you really need to stand in front of it to feel its full effect. There is always the whole view, and then there is the view within the view. What I mean by this is when you see it as a whole and start to move towards it, you will be drawn into interesting small areas within the painting. The more you look, the more you will find. looking at the close detail you will see other images that you just did not see by looking at it as a whole. To demonstrate this I have a gallery below for close up shots to give you a feel for this.
About The Album
Label: Rough Trade
Released: 1995
Track List
1 Only You 10:11
2 Masquerade Dub 7:35
3 Flying Again 6:12
4 Oceola 7:48
5 Where Do You Fit In? 6:35
6 Derek 2:25
7 There Are Strings 8:14
8 Colonnades 4:28
9 Lee Perry Part One 5:43
10 Day Of The Dead
‘There Are Strings’ is an amazing eclectic Drum n Bass album. It totally grabbed me the very first time I heard it. I think I can safely say there is not an album in the Drum n Bass genre that quite sounds like this. It is a really cleverly constructed sound scape of quirky samples, mellow strings, ethereal washes and staccato break beats! It is really one to listen to if you have not heard it. If you don't have in in your collection hunt it down and purchase it Buy Spring Heel. Also worth adding to your collection is 68 Million Shades and Amassed.
A Track From The Album
I have found the track ‘There Are Strings’ off the album on Youtube, this will give you an idea for the feel of the album. But, what I would say is go buy it, you wont be disappointed! You really need to listen to the whole of the album to realise how good and refreshingly different it is. (Try listening to it with at least a pair of headphone on, tinny computer speakers are really not going to give you a fair idea of the music due to the balance of base within the track)
About Spring Heel Jack
Spring Heel Jack are an English electronic music duo, consisting of John Coxon and Ashley Wales. Formed in 1993, two years before the release of ‘There Are Strings’ the duo base in London began their careers exploring Drum n Bass and jungle. Since then they have moved into other fields of music, including free improvisation and jazz, collaborating with many musicians from Europe and the United States. They have their own label Treader that is really worth checking out.
Want to know more?
If you would like to talk about 'Spring Heel Jack' please contact me, we can talk more in-depth about the work. From there I can give you an idea of your nearest commercial gallery so that you can view it, or you are quite welcome to see it at the studio. I love talking to people and collectors about my artwork so Contact me by email, call UK 07736 067 989 or sign up to my news letter to keep in touch with what I'm up too!
