Studio exploration of mirrors and fabrics in creating abstract painting expressions

Artists react and re-present the existential realities that surround them in different ways. While some creatively and realistically present these realities as they are, others conceptualise these realities, in diverse artistic styles and orientations. In deviation from the prescriptions of authors such as Lamb (1976) who wrote an extensive exposition on the use of conventional materials in creating art works, unconventionality has, for a while now, permeated the world of art such that, virtually any solid entity can be used in creating artworks. It is on such basis that I chose to explore the possibilities of creating abstract paintings, using unconventional media, specifically mirrors and fabrics. In the paper’s capacity to advance the exploratory possibilities in painting, Candy’s (2006) opinion on the practice-based research methodology, was adopted as the paper’s conceptual framework. The paper concludes by recommending that other artists should endeavour to explore and exploit other possibilities of creating paintings, through the adaptation of similarly unconventional media and procedure.