Meditative Musings; Current Approaches to the Creative Process - John Koyounian

What originally started as an excuse to create works in a Zen style of doodles has emerged into a new body of artwork that surpasses the original intention. John Koyounian has recently diverged from his archetypal approach to his art production from narrative works to something that at one time is a blend of both tribal and urban graffiti.

Initially the development of this new work was to make marks in a subconscious way relying on an intuitive approach rather then something that was deliberately planned. Unlike the patterning found in the trendy adult colouring books, the iconography created is less functional and at times very much a grouping of abstracted forms. John explains the process in the following manner.” I initially begin with a series of arbitrary quick line gestures/passages which are essentially pathways for the grouping of patterns.” It is during this initial line work that John grapples with the lines developed and I tries to consolidate their appearance. All the considerations of composition come into play. Repeated use of pattern and use of varied lines are introduced as a way to create a cohesive composition.  

During this process motifs are created and to some measure repeated patterns on occasion emerge in a reoccurring method. However what initially was designed to step away from the use of the figure has become a momentary pause because much of his work is so steeped in the figure, the introduction of the human form reappearing is an understandable place in which this work has settled at least for now.

You can view more of John Koyounian's work at the Art Gallery of Lambeth.