John Gatip, Prismatic Chromatism

Location – John’s Bedroom
2020, April 10


The installation is taken on a wall that I see everyday. This is the first thing I see when I wake up as it is in front of my bed. The wall is inside my bedroom, located at the first floor of my family home. This installation comprises of different elements. The main visual elements are the latest oil paintings that I’ve done during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Melbourne. The 210x294 oil on oil paper are fascinations of prismatic geometries and playful combinations of hue and chroma.

The overall installation shows different things that I use. These items are used whether they are for painting, for inspiration, for spiritual growth or for education. There are other curiosities that I’ve placed within this installation and one of them is the pigeon with a spray bottle head. This is a sculpture created by Alexander Ouchtomsky from his 2020 exhibition “The Joke is on Me”. Another is a the Ecclesiastes – a book in the Bible –the author reflects on how “they have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” I placed this book in as it is something I frequently go back to when I need to change perspective in life.

The brief for this unique exhibition challenged me to expose the thin veil of my personal life and my artistic endeavours. The installation is very much a summary of my current self, my thoughts, my creative pursuits and my fascinations.