RESIDENT ARTIST FOR AIR PRODUCTS @
EUROPEAN COATINGS SHOW, NUREMBURG GERMANY, APRIL 2003

This opportunity came to me through an intermediary design consultancy called 4-1 Design. I first met the client, Air Products, about 3 weeks before the ECS (European Coatings Show), where we discussed initial ideas and what the client was looking for. This fair was to be a Bi-annual Trade event the paint and coatings industry, and Air Products - together with 4-1 Design - wanted to utilise an artist as a PR tool on their display stand during the fair.

The general brief was to produce 9 paintings over the 3 days of the fair (3 each day), based around the 3 business areas of Air Products - : Polymer's, Epoxy's and Surynol's. These paintings would be given as a prize to contacts of the client, who had been drawn from business cards submitted. The client specifically wanted to move away from literal representation (as an abstract artist, I guess it was one of the reasons I was chosen) but at the same time they wanted the paintings to represent certain philosophies of the company in general and each of the business areas specifically.

For the initial set of thumbnail sketches I broke each sheet down into one of the days. One business area was represented in each sketch. The starting point was fairly easy, the client had particularly shown interest in my number paintings, and asked me to focus on products that had a brand number and adapt these to my additive Cuisenaire system, which I duly did (see below). For the other 2 days I began to think of elements and symbols that Air Products and paint agents/epoxy's could be associated with, such as chains for linking and security, jigsaw pieces to represent building components together, and plus and minus signs for additives and subtractions.

Day 1: Epoxy - 701

For all 3 of the number works produced at ECS, I started to experiment with different size stencils. Apart from any design and aeshetic decisions, this was crucial in view of the short time I had to produce each of the works. Also all 3 works have a geometrical composition to them in this case to help add to the minimalist stance, in this instance divuided into 3 equal rectangles. I'm utilising my additive cuisenaire system, In this instance 7 = black, 0 = orange (slight cheat there as it actually equals 10) and 1 = white

Day 1: Surynol

With the MD 20 product I'm using Orange and white to represent 20. I started of trying to create a circle in the middle as a representation of security, although the image has got sumerged as the work progressed.

Day 2: Surynol

The image that AP use to promote their Surynol products is of Snake River in the USA, a winding waterway surounded by nature. It helps to create a strong enviromental message, and I was very drawn to the balance and harmony of this image as well as its simplicity. This is the only AP image that I stayed relatively close to, turning it into a more design based motif, whilst using a variety of techniques to create surface tension between the areas.

Day 2: Epoxy

The image of a bridge being painted is used in AP promotional literature, although it wasn't conciously where I was coming from here, although I would guess that some of the concepts were similar, such as linking and progression. I particularly had the image of Joseph Stella's 1930 Brooklyn Bridge painting in my mind as the gateway to the new world and a symbol of technology. As an anecdote, during my preparation, I was writing & sketching whilst on a number 319 bus, playing with the image of a bridge when on the way over Battersea Bridge I caught a stunning view of a rainbow formed behind Albert Bridge. As a rainbow makes up of all primary and secondary colours, the juxtaposition with paint and colour was perfect.

Day 2: Polymer

The Triangle is a very potent symbol, in business it represents team work and the upward vortex of evolution and aspiration (a triangle is also used in the Air Products logo). But looking at the wider symbolism, the creativity of 2 together = 3 (e:g man + woman = child or 2 colours added together make a 3rd colour) and the concept of equal balance seemed to fit here. Taking the paint issue further the 12 tins represent the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colours.

Day 3: Epoxy (Stick to You)

The notion of all components fitting together in harmony is present here, as well as re using the jigsaw mofif again. other elements involved include the horse shoe as a symbol of craft and skill.