Method - Plaster, tissue, newsprint, oils, acrylic

Most of Paul Ashwell's artwork is created through the process of superimposing layers. This alludes to different geological layers of silt and rock, or walls and road surfaces, and probably comes from a printmaking background. He typically builds up layers of tissue, paint and plaster. This alters what is beneath: bringing out or obscuring previous layers. He often uses gloss and matt to give different appearances in different light and from different angles.

The finished work is a summation of all the seen - and unseen - layers.

Madness - Surfaces, impressions from repeated journeys, number patterns, primes, squares and physical cosmology

Paul Ashwell is fascinated by patterns. In particular, the incongruity of visual flippancy and mathematical beauty, where a silly polka dot sequence may adhere to a basic mathematical truth. In fact polka dots have been a repeated motif since the early 70s for Paul Ashwell, but recently his solid dots have evolved into holes. He is interested in the illusion of solidity - and the fact that solid matter contains more space than substance. It is full of holes.

Appearances are deceptive and taken for granted. What we see as solid surfaces are in reality only reflected lightwaves. And then this impression is confirmed through touch and collision. Molecular physics tells us that this is far from the truth. The physical universe grinds on behind our everyday human concerns. Within this cosmic context, the fleeting human condition is laughable and irrelevant: a wonderful and terrible, humorous blip.