Matthew Hindley - Blackout
In this body of work, Matthew Hindley expands his ongoing exploration of the subtle tendencies of individuals toward humane darkness. In these paintings, the studio becomes the platform from which a potential creative utopia can be developed. The studio is a Freudian id zone, so to speak, in which the term ‘blackout’ suggests an event of loss – of consciousness, light, power, sanity. In the dark the same rules may not necessarily apply as in the light and bonds between people can be created and strengthened through unhindered exploration of those things which the conscious mind chooses generally to ignore, forcing such desires into the realm of dreams.
Hindley does not, however, descend into circular motions of Freudian psychoanalysis. A brief investigation of the word “blackout” in popular culture reveals a ubiquity in music, fiction and film. In theatre, the term is
used to denote a killing of stage lights either at the end of a scene or for
particular dramatic effect.
Hence, Hindley’s compositions are reminiscent of actors frozen in the middle of a rehearsal, or still frames extracted from film footage. Hindley has not taken a purely authorial stance in the development of his creative utopia, appearing as subject and character in many of the works. In this sense, Hindley’s own act of painting serves not only as a recording of the scenes played out, but also as an extension of the performance itself. Remaining diligently figurative, Hindley explores the richness of the colour black, creating visual planes as darkly exhilarating as the fundamental schizophrenia of confronting issues of identity, sexuality and death.
