OFF the WALL BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS
A MOVING EXPERIENCE HOW ARTIST COLIN COOK FINDS HIS FORM
C
olin Cook’s self-proclaimed “Fluid Form” paintings are capturing the imagination of local art buyers. His abstract approach depicting human bodies twisting themselves into the earth like the roots of a tree can create swirls of emotions. The shapes are paradoxically strong and sinewy with a serene softness that brings the dynamics of the human relationship into harmony suggesting a dance with the elements of our existence. Fire, water, earth and air all came alive without intention when Colin approached his first experiments with acrylic paints. But he is starting to see where so many of his life’s passions are now culminating in this body of work. Always drawn to the human physique, Colin portrays his figures with strong musculature and control of their movement. “A lot of people will look at my paintings and think they are very sexy and sensual. I guess they really are but what I see or what happens when I start to paint is a dance between two people. When I look at these paintings I feel happy. When people are dancing they usually are happy,” says Colin.
The North Shore
The dance between the faceless figures is also a conduit to the energy that Colin brings into the painting and what he hopes to be released. This is an aspect that he is trying to give a little more attention to without getting too invested and interrupting the flow state he falls into when he is working on a piece. “To be honest I really don’t know where the painting will go when I start. It’s hard to explain but I don’t pay too much attention to what I am doing at the time. I sometimes move around a lot and I get my fingers into the paint as much as I use my brushes,” he says. “I am afraid that if I think about it too much that I might lose it.” Art has been part of Colin’s raison d’être since he was young. As a student he was encouraged by his teachers to embrace his talents and follow his dreams. He attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and at that time he was told that figure painting was not his forte. It has taken several decades for Colin to return to this type of artistic pursuit. He is a trained graphic artist and has worked in numerous mediums over the years but most of this concentration has been for employment
ah! Spring 2020 - 10
