SadieFaye: Featured Artist of the Week: Carne Griffiths

"Sunlight" by Carne Griffiths

“I can be working on a piece and suddenly have the impulse to tip a cup of tea

almost entirely over the work and then to throw the piece around moving the ink

away from the underlying lines.”

- Carne Griffiths in an interview with Digital Arts Online

Carne Griffiths specializes in drawing, offering his audience a unique manipulation of the line which alludes to both his everyday experiences and his view on our current relationship with nature. He was born in Liverpool, but now lives and works out of London. Griffiths graduated from Maidstone College of Art, after which he served an apprenticeship as a gold wire embroidery designer for twelve years. It was only after leaving his post as creative director at an embroidery firm that he began to pursue his lifelong love of drawing; though the dramatic use of floral patterns and intricate design shows the great influence of his previous profession.

Carne Griffiths has distinguished himself as an artist, not only with his talent and skill, but with his innovative technique and materials. He works mainly with calligraphy ink, graphite, and various liquids, such as brandy, vodka, whisky, and tea. To create the delicately colored, yet intricately designed artworks, Griffiths begins with a drawn line, which he then manipulates with various liquids – allowing their natural coloring and absorption processes to create a natural fusion of color that is only guided by the human hand. Griffiths typically works with speed, inviting chance and accidents, and allowing for his “style to be in a constant state of flux” in an effort to avoid “becoming stale.”

While the sweeping colors and sometimes tangled web of lines gives truth to his effort to bring spontaneity to his works, the finely detailed workings of his floral patterns, and his genius integration of portraiture into the elements of nature (a theme common throughout his work), speaks to the great artistry, skill, and control which Griffiths possesses over his materials. At the same time, this control does not hinder the fantastical play and movement of his lines, which delights our eyes, and allows one to discover new elements of a piece each time they gaze upon it. To truly begin to understand and comprehend one of Griffiths’ works takes time, as one’s gaze is, almost always, initially overwhelmed with the winding lines and delicate yet powerful blend of color. In time, one discovers hidden creatures, human likenesses, and a bountiful garden of flora and fauna which hearkens back to what our land once was. This connection between humanity and nature is one of Griffiths' foremost concerns; he focuses not only on humanity’s self-deception and violence towards nature, but on the bestial nature of nature itself.

Carne Griffiths’ most recent finished work was launched with the latest project from JOYCE which featured artwork from five international artists. For this project, Griffiths used a very pale white tea to create a piece of artwork which “evoked the mood of spring.” The image features a beautiful portrait on one side of the egg, and luscious spring feathers curling around the other. To view this latest work, as well as to see Carne Griffiths’ full portfolio, visit his website at www.carnegriffiths.com.

The artwork as experienced by – SadieFaye