Wish You Were Here

This work explores the familiar language of mid-century motel signage, reimagined with a distinctly retro-futuristic twist. I can’t help thinking it wouldn’t have looked out of place in an episode of The Jetsons. My imagination also wandered into the realms of space travel, UFOs and the cinematic universe of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The soft avocado green wasn’t my first colour choice, but ultimately it proved to be just what the work needed, bringing the elements together and giving the piece a softer, contemporary aesthetic. The curvaceous timber forms were particularly challenging to shape, but are central to the work’s distinctive retro-futuristic character.
The orange cutout feature began as an abstract suggestion of a face with its mouth open. This led me to consider titles such as No One Can Hear You Scream in Space and Open the Pod Bay Door, HAL. In the end, I preferred the ambiguity of the final title, which leaves the interpretation open while also sharing its name with a Pink Floyd album.
In this work, as well as Kentucky Fried Galah, the swimming pool cutouts make their first appearance. They emerged quite by accident while I was experimenting with colour. A couple of years earlier, I had sketched a number of pool-inspired ideas, so it’s particularly satisfying to see those earlier concepts finally finding their way into the work.