Some answers in advance of some potential questions concerning my work

(written on the train between Basel and Karlsruhe, 29 January 2001)

The term EPW:0 stands for Experimental Painting Workshop: Orange. EPW was originally used as an umbrella title for a large exhibition in Melbourne in 1990, though works of this type have been produced since 1977.

l began to use the colour orange, initially as a 5 year project, in New York in January 1995. This project has now become the raison d’étre for my current work.

Before this time l had used up to 15 bright colours as my colour palette, whilst the individual paintings were usually in one or two colours.

The colour orange was chosen because it is bright, uplifting, positive and declarative. I wanted to choose a single colour that had not been used (to my knowledge) by another artist to develop a total oeuvre (e.g. Yves Klein International Klein Blue / Robert Ryman White).

The job of the artist as I see it, is to develop meta-art, here meta-painting, to increase the lexicon of possibilities for painting in general.

Such a position gives me a reason to work + develop in an intuitive and adhoc manner various dialectical positions (Le. large scale painting/mini-painting; totally orange paintings/orange and one colour paintings).

As | live in Sydney and travel internationally, works are often made in-situ using local materials (for supports wood metal canvas etc.) in the museum or gallery in the days before the opening.

Sometimes works produced in different cities over a period of years are brought together for the exhibition. This is true of the current exhibition in Basel/Muttenz.

Each exhibition is specific to the size and architecture of the museum or gallery space.

The exhibition as such provides a focal point for discussion about art and the possibilities for painting today.

Text von John Nixon
Publiziert in der Nummer 11 / 2000