Peaston Farm
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Beauty and Light in Darkness and Dereliction
Walking in East Lothian one day, I came across the Peaston Farm and village, both totally derelict. The stillness was overwhelming.
Areas of darkness penetrated by light interest me. Power of light, power of darkness - the one reveals the other. Things that were hidden are suddenly revealed by light.
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It was necessary to have a darker background in order to be able to create the light sources. This in turn enabled me to give the impression of something which was there but is now only partially there and in time will complete disappear, reverting back to the landscape that had stood for all time.
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Through glassless cottage windows, tangled masses of roof timbers collapsed to the ground.
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A barn, now empty, but light penetrates the roof space revealing its skeleton reaching to the heavens often briefly, until they too collapse as they give way to the elements and yet, a fragile light bulb survives.
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In order to capture the sense of the transience of man and his creation in the light of this world and the universe beyond, I decided to paint a background not unlike images from the Hubble telescope but with less dramatic colour.
The disappearance of man's brief footprint on the landscape.
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Echoes of what once was would be gone forever.
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