A Year in Berlin: Martin Finnin

The streets of Berlin are lined with boxes where people leave stuff they no longer need, mainly books, lots of them in English, clothes but also sofas and crazy stuff. It’s a great public library if you have the chance to walk around as much as I did. I picked up this book and remembered this section where Georgia O’Keefe lists the five things she reckoned an artist should do, or have. The one that stood out: “An artist should be aware of their surroundings and use them”. I agree with that statement. I see my surroundings in these works. While my work is considered abstract, I look at these Berlin Winter paintings and see clouds, aeroplanes, energy lines, 70’s flower wallpaper taken from the studio hallway, Islamic rug patterns, trees, components of medieval battle scenes and fireworks, everything settling into its order. I’d like to think that the darkness is working hand in hand with colour.

Martin Finnin