Colin Pennock: Intrusion

Pennock’s new collection of paintings, ‘Intrusion’, externalises the artist’s recent ruminations on the parallel journeys of his life and work. He self-reflexively examines his own visual language, often revisiting formative works to unlock the way forward. ‘I travel back and forth through the long journey I’ve taken to make my own language’ says Pennock, ‘There’s a clarity in this process’. This symbiotic burrowing into his past enables him to remerge with the resilience to overcome the vestial vulnerabilities that seem so endemic to artists.

Sensitive to the struggles and conflicts riddling our global climate that puncture his peace, Pennock takes hold of such ‘intrusions’ and forces them to find a quiet place within the colourful tapestry of his work. He has come to understand that ‘the archetype of mankind’s traditions are a struggle between good and evil’, translating this dynamic tension into visual dialogues between light and dark amidst a spectrum of shades and hues. For Pennock, the landscape holds the key to unlocking the complexities of such tensions. Dark moments of coal black cushioned with comforting swathes of pearl, lilac, milky cyan, pale blue reconstruct place in a way that finds a home for life’s little intrusions within the bigger picture. Through this, Pennock unites memories and reality in his ever-evolving journey forward.