SPACE A
ISN’T IT GOOD TO BE LOST IN THE WOOD
ALAN IBELL
“Isn’t it good to be lost in the wood.
Isn’t it bad so quiet there, in the wood.”
Syd Barrett Octopus.
Isn’t It Good To Be Lost In The Wood deals with the search for absolutes in an absurd world. The works form a narrative that explores the dialogue between religion, spirituality and superstition, and the bearing these ideas have in contemporary society.
The solitary figures within the works, related only by their faceless anonymity (and occasional amputation), are situated within sparse, empty settings alluding to a dream space that is beholden only to the realm of human thought. Their ongoing search is met with silence and the hopelessness of their actions is amplified by the harsh emptiness of the surroundings.
The stillness, and static nature of the painted image locks these characters into a world where their action defines them. This stillness serves to thwart any sense of anticipation that lies within the narrative. The figure in The Broken Altar (2012) is forever waiting for acceptance of his offering. The Rotting Offering (2012) will forever rot.
