I’ll start with the quote “What does it mean to give agency to the material, to follow the material and to act with the material?”

I look at that quote and wonder whether it is something that I am learning to do. My relationship with the materials that I use, have used continues to change and develop. More and more I am finding that I am allowing materials, particularly paint, dictate the direction of a painting. This is particularly true for my experimental work, less so for my paintings where the pictorial considerations are more apparent. I have in my mind the notion that I should allow, give agency, to the materials I use, but how much? Am I comfortable to be dictated to by material, to give it control over my painting? Would this remove me from the process?

I believe that the answer to these questions will be seen in my work as I search for further refinement to my style. It seems to me that there will be a line that will be drawn where there is a balance between how much agency I give to the material and how much I retain. The best examples of this in my work outside of the experimental pieces are two of the paintings recently completed as part of my Parallel project. These paintings may not end up as the pieces I submit as part of the project, but at this stage they show a direction of travel, whereby I am allowing the paint itself to inform the work. I am allowing the material to have some agency. Is this right, should not agency be demanded, taken for itself. If so can material really have agency?

A comment or quote that is often used by artists is ‘happy accident’. I feel that this is a useful but misleading phrase. In most cases the artist has made conscious decisions to place materials, colours and prepared surfaces in direct competition with each other and is looking for a result. That the actual result is unknown is not entirely true. It is expected that the confrontation will give something back. This can then be accepted, changed or removed. The artist is making these decisions not the materials. Agency has been given to the materials but in a controlled manner. To me this is the nature of experimentation and discovery. A continual process of gaining knowledge and experience.

• Part 4 - Parts of a painting