‘Life begins on the other side of despair.’ ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
The dub spectrum Project began with the deceptively straightforward dream of an anonymous artist who wanted to quietly eke out a living as a painter.
His work started out in an Expressionist vein inspired by artists including Kandinsky, Klimt, Klee and Van Gogh (among others). He later found himself writing brief works of prose that he initially incorporated into painting. This coincided with developing a keen interest in landscapes with a particular fondness for ancient Chinese painters, such as Ma Yuan and Guo Xi, and the numinous quality of form and emptiness in their work.
He continues to be drawn to the notion of landscapes as an archetype of visual poetry; as something that operates both within and outside space, time and conceptual thought. He admires the grace and skill of ballet (not least because he can’t dance to save his life!), and is curious towards how a consideration of its interplay of bodily movement in space and time might inform ideas underpinning his own work.
Conversely, much of his writing orientates more from feelings of disillusionment and despair (amid a general underground sensibility). A constant theme throughout his work would be a continuing fascination with being and time as somehow transformed through creativity and movement. He is particularly interested in exploring this through long-form poetry and fiction. Extracts from his debut novel, Adrift in Amnesia, can be found here. Extracts from his first book of poetry, The Cycle Diaries, can be found here.
The ds Project has evolved over the years into a creative testing ground spanning photography, fiction, poetry, short stories, film, painting, travels and DJ sets. At the heart of it is an inward-émigré alter ego: Percival Alexander.
More about his journey can be read here
truth is vibe.
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