The Wash

Once upon a summertime in Berlin, on my way home from a hardware store run, I found a very large canvas on the side of the road. Though tagged with graffiti, it was still in good shape, so I placed it on the pedal of my bike and walked it back home with me, where I then gesso’d and reinforced it. I wasn’t really sure what I’d do with it yet, but decided I’d paint something… eventually.

Then, in 2020, Covid hit.

Most of my creative efforts at that time were focused on building stuff rather than painting, as that flow was somehow more satisfying at that time, and I had a few projects for my Berlin Lair on Kastanienallee. All the while, this massive 1m x 3m white canvas stared at me while sitting patiently upon my Monster Easel, and even moved with us when we left Germany for Spain in early 2021, where it found a new home in Barcelona… yet remained naked.

It was also vertical during this time, and was nearly painted with this orientation in mind.

After yet another move, it hung comfortably in its third home, blankly overlooking our kitchen activities above plants, drinks and libations.

Finally, during my surfing trip in the South of France last summer, I visited San Sebastian.

While on a wander, I visited the sea wall, and after filming this video I had the idea to paint a very large depiction of churning ocean water in oils. This concept was further compounded later that summer, after enduring an F9 storm while sailing the Saronic islands.

Then, during the 2022/2023 Christmas holidays, I began actively compiling visual references, narrowing down styles, examples, states of seawater excitement and colours to a selection of compositions.

Above all, I wanted this work to be almost abstract - confusing at first, not necessarily obviously liquid (Marble? Webbing? Cotton? Fungus? Storm?), and as distant as possible from generic, mass-produced ikea wall decor.

As it had been a while since I painted, I made a few tests first to experiment with techniques, colours, depth and viscosity.

Then, in late February, after three years of hanging empty, I finally decided on a composition for this 3 meter x 1 meter canvas and got started.

Due to the space, light, ventilation, time and perspective required to comfortably paint something this large, I worked outside on my back terrace, at home in the spring Catalan sun.