Dangerous Visions

In the ‘Dangerous Visions’ paintings, Brian Clarke slashes his canvases. In his monograph ‘Brian Clarke’ (1981), Martin Harrison writes of the series:

In the ‘Dangerous Visions’ paintings, Brian Clarke slashes his canvases. In his monograph ‘Brian Clarke’ (1981), Martin Harrison writes of the series:

‘The Punk paintings were the direct outcome of culture-shock. The first was Dangerous Visions 1, painted in one night – “in a state of frenzy”. The single incision is reminiscent of the Italian artist Lucio Fontana’s spatialist canvases. Brian accepts that Fontana was the first to slash a canvas but claims to be the first to patch them up again. In Dangerous Visions 1 it is a deep angry gash and although it is partially covered up with canvas patches, jumbo paper-clips and a safety-pin (an overt punk reference) the ‘wound’ has bled profusely over the lower part of the canvas, the ‘blood’ in this case being a mixture of varnish, woodworm killer and glue-size. City Boy is the most affectionate of the punk paintings. The outline of the bass guitar was taken from Brian’s own instrument, one he did not use during his involvement with a group called The Uncommitted. They advertised gigs and were even offered a television spot, but did not actually play music, though they did discuss the possibility from time to time in 1977.’