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Fruitful Mess



(with Peter Kovacs)
approx. 11" x 15", watercolour, 1988, private collection

This is the second of only two paintings* I collaborated on with Peter (the first being Cultural Mess); I don't remember why we felt the need to work together on the same paintings, nor do I remember why we decided to stop. If we did continue, though, I'm certain we planned to keep using the G23 signature and probably keep naming the paintings "[adjective here] Mess."

We were trying to achieve some kind of cubist fracturing and ended up with this sort of stained-glass kind of look. My memory is very hazy, but I think peter pencilled the Canadian flag (with me laying out the matrix pattern) in the other one and I pencilled the fruit and drew the matrix for this one, then we painted each of them together (even simultaneously at times).

What's the significance of the apple and the carrot? I drew them from memory without reference (it shows!)...but why that specific composition?


*and my third watercolour painting ever.


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