For this experimental painting I assembled an array of equipment, no brushes. I had balloons, party poppers, a straw, a dart, string, six small bouncy balls, a food syringe, a small yoghurt pot, black drawing ink and yellow and red acrylic paint.
A board was set up at a 25 degree angle on the floor and paper (580mm x 790mm) taped to the board.
The ink and paint was fired at the support, starting with the black ink and then the red acrylic paint and lastly the yellow. Then balloons were bounced over the paper in random ways. I threw a dart at one of the balloons, popping it. However this made little impression. The last action I carried out was to fire the party poppers at the painting. These stuck to the paint and drooped across the painting.
I took photographs as I progressed, see below.
The equipment after use.
The finished painting can be seen below. I like it, it has a party feel to it, exploding fire crackers or fireworks. the paint that has run down the painting creating trails which are reminiscent of rockets. The techniques could be refined and perhaps more colours could be used. I do wonder whether the black ink was a good choice. An alternative approach could be to perform a similar painting on a black support. however I feel that this would be moving away from the random element of its construction. The random aspects of the process would be compromised and it would to a contrived and conceived piece.
Mark Taylor 'Studio Practice' 