While I don’t usually draw from visual sources whilst creating artworks, there is a fair amount of inspiration taken from the proposed notions of acclaimed artists who have come before. In the instance of most of my works - which tend to have a surrealist/otherworldly focus with underlying emotional symbolism - I tend to take inspiration from the likes of Hieronymus Bosch and Francis Bacon, who’s works tamper with the ideas of otherworldly concepts (In the case of Bosch) and emotional projection (In the case of Bacon) into art.
One of my artworks, ‘Youkoso Hitori Bocchi’ (Welcome to Loneliness) (Figure A) depicts a man on his knees with his arms raised to the sky. From his cracked open head and one of his hands surges forth an energy emanating from inside of him, giving the impression that he contained something that wished to be set free. (Comparable to a soul.) The artwork - while primarily inspired by an obscure work of poetry - is somewhat of a projection of anguish and the release of such feelings by abrupt means. (Hence that the figure is kneeling as though subdued by something and thus not in control of the situation he’s in.)
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When it came to devising ideas and concepts for Figure A, I took great inspiration from the likes of Hieronymus Bosch and Francis Bacon respectively. Particularly, the notion of portraying works with visceral, surrealist qualities and underlying personal motifs.
In the initial devising stages that resulted in my understanding of what my artwork would be about and what its general aesthetic would be, Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” (Figure B) was instrumental. The painting - which is divided into three panels - depicts Adam and Eve (On the left), an unspecified time of opulence and joy (In the middle), and the hellish results of humanity indulging in evil indulgences. (On the right).
Works of his like Figure B evoke within me a fascination for the absurd figures and scenarios that are iconic of his aesthetic. Though, my work is not religious in any way, I admired Bosch’s skill at depicting ‘mortals’ in such a way that it was clear that they were not the apex. There is an underlying impression that they are ignorant or even subservient to something greater than they are. (Especially in the case of Figure B and its middle panel) I attempted to incorporate this theme into my artwork, as - although there is no actual depiction of a ‘higher power’ of sorts present in the work - the kneeling man, who features prominently in my artwork, makes a gesture towards the sky with his right hand as he is falling apart with everything that falls away rushing in the same direction as his gesture.
In spite of his influence on my work, conceptually. The use of paint or colour was decided against as I found that my vision for the artwork would involve dull colours rather than the vibrant and varied spectrum of colours that featured in Bosch’s paintings.
Hieronymus Bosch’s works also had an influence on my work as I found his placement of distorted objects amidst the strange landscape depicted in Figure B (Particularly in the panel depicting hell on the right) added an element of otherworldliness that strengthened the surreal experience. While I did not end up implementing a distorted object in the final artwork, the idea did result in the eventual addition of a disintegrating crab in the background of the Figure A - with the intent of achieving a similar effect.
The implementation of otherworldly structures and objects is more prevalent in my second artwork, ‘Wyrm’ (Figure D) as it features a large serpent emerging from an oversized egg. The size of the egg is emphasized by how small the nearby river is in comparison to it. To add to the notion of the otherworldly, the branch of a cherry blossom can also be seen sprouting from the egg.
In essence, Hieronymus Bosch’s work inspired me to create images that were immediately and identifiably surreal and absurd. While there is no direct similarity between the landscapes of Figure A and Figure B’s landscape, I believe that - on a subconscious level - Bosch’s influence can be seen in my attempt to create a scenario that seems distant and exotic.
On the other hand, there is a more obvious influence from the likes of Bosch in Figure D (Especially in earlier concepts which feature an array of strange creatures in an exotic environment.) As it plainly depicts a scenario in which absurd and monstrous creatures and objects coexist with ‘ordinary’ environments such as a riverside.
The second artist that influenced my work was a more constant variable in what inspired many of the underlying elements of Figure A as well as the characteristics of the work’s primary focus: the kneeling man. The kneeling man - as a focus - was a concept initially born of two ideas. One originating from a poem. The other from one of Francis Bacon’s more obscure works that was never officially given a title by Bacon, himself. The artwork in question has been unofficially dubbed ‘Figure in the Sea’ (Figure C) by the website: Francis Bacon.com.
Figure C is peculiar in that it depicts a faceless figure striding waist-deep in water. As is typical of many of Bacon’s works in the 1950s, the image has an almost unstable quality to it, with certain objects - like the sea and the man - being blurred giving them the illusion of movement. Additionally, what drew me to the image was a distinct sense of anguish or desolation. Francis Bacon’s artworks seem to have been infused with emotion, and I felt a strong affinity to Figure C.
Consequently, similar features to the Figure C can be seen in the kneeling man that features in my Figure A. Both ‘characters’ have the same hunched-over demeanour and their faces are obscured. I took some liberties with the figure in my artwork as I believed that having him be depicted on his knees would align better with the notion of him being in the presence of something greater.
Furthermore, I attempted to employ the same personal involvement and evidence of emotion that can be seen on display in Bacon’s works. The kneeling man is - unlike the figure in Figure C - supposed to appear strained and tense. He is meant to be visibly subdued by something and the feelings of confusion and frustration (As shown by his tensed muscles and open head) married with acceptance and resignation (As shown by his unstrained palm reaching for the sky and the little evidence of motion that would indicate a struggle) must be clear to the viewer. Most importantly, however, the sense of desolation and loneliness must be evident, as the piece is – as the title suggests – about resignation to loneliness.
In the case of Figure D, Bacon’s influence is less prevalent than Hieronymus Bosch’s as there is less of a means through which emotions can be expressed by a fictional monster. However, there was an attempt to emulate a sense of ‘curiosity’ in the serpent’s singular eye as it is a new-born being.
Finally, I took influence from Bacon’s ability to depict motion and the intensity of that motion. While movement is not evident in the Figure A, - in which the kneeling man remains idle - there is an intensity to how what is inside of him surges forth into the sky. This is contrasted by the comparatively gentle ‘trickle’ of the crab into the sky.
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