There are doubtless millions of people that are fascinated by the technical prowess and exacting graphic skill of one, Maurits Cornelis Escher. His imagination captured mine at a very early age, probably the first visual art that actually grabbed my deficient attention. I developed an early interest in mathematics, no doubt assisted by the many wonderful prints that Maurits would labour over tirelessly.
I have been considering ‘remixing’ his work for years, and its eventually come to pass. I’m working on a set of three tributes. ‘Writing Hands’ is also a tribute to the world of graffiti WRITERS, part of a new campaign ‘Human Writes’ aswell – although it seemed pretty obvious to substitute the drawing pens with a marker and an aerosol can, the execution was purposefully loose.
I relaised quite a way into the piece that the hands are one left hand and a right, having perceived them as being the same all these years. Imagine the action as I had to convolute my own hands in order to get the form correct, whilst NOT holding the paint. I didnt work it from any sketches, simply drafted the layout from Escher’s original and then improvised the remainder of the content.
Its currently at Stella Dore on Rivington Street, east London, but not on their website (!)
Escher’s original lithograph, entitled ‘Drawing Hands’ was produced in 1948.
