Re: Summer 2015 | Page 56

avoid radiation while milk bottles melt outside. The idea of the catastrophic crescendo was very much ingrained; terrified at the prospect yet equally fascinated by the associated imagery – the mushroom cloud, the fire, the explosion, the blinding light, the dust, the terror, and the scale - the sublime. While this imagery was ingraining itself on my teenage brain, I started developing my skills for portraiture with a close friend who lived up the road. We would spend Friday evenings painting portraits of our favourite pop stars in water colour. He was much better than me. My first attempt at Carol Decker from T’Pau was rather unfortunate. From this, however, I realised what was ‘wrong’ and areas I needed to work hard at, but the creative urge and love of painting was definitely unleashed from here and has never stopped. Coming of age in the late 80s we hung out in a gang at college that you would probably class the ‘alternatives’ ‘Goths’ ‘crusties’ (I can’t bring myself to say weirdos, but maybe misfits). The boys had long hair, and the girls had stripy tights and paraboots. We would all 54 go to an alternative music club called Le Phonographic the basement of a shopping centre in Leeds. It was so exciting getting in there as we were underage. As you descended the stairs into the darkness the waft of dry ice and the sweaty beer soaked carpet met you half way down. Once past the door staff, registering the smell meant you were in!! It felt like home. My friend even brought some A - Level revision work to go over when some of the more hardcore/rock songs were on. I was a part-time fat Goth because I thought it would be good to try look like Robert Smith. Couldn’t really pull it off. I Loved the Cure, Souixsie, and the shoegazing bands and went to lots of gigs/ festivals with the gang around this time. I also think the psychedelic film projections at Ride and My Bloody Valentine gigs for example are trickling into my work or will do in some shape or form at some point. I also loved Madonna at this time. PJ Harvey is a real inspiration to me. A true artist, evolving all the time and constantly setting herself new challenges to overcome. My favourite exhibition I’ve seen recently was Marlene Dumas at the Tate Modern. Along with the often controversial subject matter and social issues she is exploring, the rawness in the way she paint s and gets to grips with the medium is truly inspiring. I couldn’t wait to get back in the studio. Pat Barker is one of my favourite novelists. I love how she can describe the traits of a personality and the human condition so succinctly along with the period of time she often writes in - turn of 20thcentury/ WW1 era. I love living in Brighton and getting in the sea in the summer. This city is full of allsorts of people and it’s easy to get about, never being too far from a pub to catch up with a friend over a bottle or two of red. There are loads of great galleries in the region like Pallant House, The Jerwood, Towner, Naked Eye and all the annual art trails which I regularly visit. Also, I love working at City College predominantly with art students which is a really inspirational and creative environment to work in that definitely feeds into my art. www.patrick-odonnell.co.uk