I was first introduced to the abstract artist through my not so healthy tradition of browsing YouTube at 3 o’clock in the morning. Where as most of the time I regret my choices, one in a blue moon I stumble across something that makes all my nocturnal hours worth while. Whilst doing so recently I stumbled across one video at the end of a network of seemingly meaningless content, one of which led me to the intriguing work of an up and coming creative.
The CBC Arts video followed the creative process of artist Callen Schaub, in the confined proximity of his paint covered studio. As before the free-flowing and one-sided interview even starts we see vivid paints bouncing off and finding home not only on the canvas but also the once white walls. The quick introduction to one of, if not the most distinctive techniques he owns in his work is certainly interesting to say the least. As the rotations quickly transform any one of his pieces into a self-titled display of organic art. With each one of his pieces embodying a unique character, mood and overall emotion if it be through colour, shape or unintentional reference. But what I like most about his canvas based work is how the abstract forms will translate so differently to any viewer, if it be a blazing oil spill, butterfly’s wing or a hybrid selection of two exotic birds that I immediately saw.
One of my favourite pieces is titled ‘Night Glow’ and like many others is achieved through his ballistic style of paint spinning. What I love most about the piece is the eerie and even borderline sombre mood emitted through the colours and even a surprising level of texture. On first inspections the narrative I obtained was that of someone drowning in a body of water. Through the eyes of the victim we see their vision blurring as the water envelops them, as the luminescent moon fades out of perspective. After simply staring at the piece for a while I develop another self devised theory, with a less macabre tone but rather humorously extraterrestrial. To put it plain and simple the glowing light that steals your gaze is that of a UFOs beam surrounding you before your lifted off of your feet and further into the night sky. ultimately the title could reflect a literal translation of a one of the more prehistoric and original forms of light in the sky, this being a traveling comet. The core of the central light being the comet itself as the surrounding glow bleeds out and shows its path and direction of travel into the ombre sky that is delicately dotted with stars.
Moving outside the realm of the ‘traditional’ canvas, Callen has recently collaborated with fashion photographer, Stef Eleoff and produced an experimental series of images that explore the potential of the human form. An eternal source of inspiration for art and creatives, we are more commonly painted onto boards than to serve as the covered surface. In this case skin is covered my paint applied in the varying techniques and processed developed and practised by Callen in his original work. The collaborator and photographer, Stef Eleoff then captures the living canvases not only in the aftermath of application but even in the process itself. As paint gets poured down onto the awaiting models what we are given are images packed with a kinetic energy that we can only imagine in movement for ourselves and later how the paint melts into the natural contours of the body. The series still embodies his identity as an artist, whilst it holds a valuable experimental experience for how far he can take the processes he has created and so successfully owned but yet I believe not yet mastered but I believe will do with time.
BRANDON BAILEY 