Onion Preparation Mixed pigments & clear casting resin in perspex 101 x 76cm
I wanted to make my own spot painting but I've used casts from onion sections so I guess this is a 3 - dimensional version. You can see all of the layers of tissue when the onion is divided.
I like slicing up vegetables when preparing a meal, especially if I've got a really good knife. The pattern and shape of these concentric rings in onions and leeks ensnare me on a regular basis! Annular growth rings in trees can tell you a lot about the varying seasonal conditions from year to year. I wonder if the same is true for onions and leeks - perhaps they are affected by environmental conditions on a weekly basis? Does it matter?
A slice of onion is easy to recognise - sometimes even more so than the whole bulb! Dividing things up often makes them easier to study and comprehend but you can lose a sense of the bigger picture. Scientists are sometimes guilty of this and so this spot painting reminds me of the process that is called 'the scientific method' and of everything else that it's easy to forget when you get a bit absorbed.