CANARY WHARF GROUP
Is there triumph in trauma?
Nick Beighton pt1 (Trauma To Champion: Windows Of The Soul), 2017-2018
Oil paint, acrylic, carbon fibre and metal
Unique work (panels 1-7)
H60 x W42 x D18-43cm (each)
© Mark Humphrey
COLLABORATORS
Nick Beighton (British paracanoeist and former British Army officer)
Canary Wharf Group
Corps of Royal Engineers (British Army)
Olympic and Paralympic canoe team
Paddle UK
LOCATION
One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, UK
“ART HONOURS OUR HEROES FOLLOWS SEVEN STAGES OF NICK’S JOURNEY, FROM THE MOMENT IN AFGHANISTAN A LAND MINE EXPLODED BENEATH HIM TO HIS EMERGENCE AS A PARALYMPIC CANOE CHAMPION AND BRONZE MEDALLIST AT RIO 2016. EACH STAGE IS REPRESENTED BY A SCULPTURAL PORTRAIT FORMED FROM TWO CLEAR ACRYLIC PANELS, CREATING THE APPEARANCE OF WINDOWS THROUGH WHICH WE LOOK IN AND OUT – ONE SIDE SUGGESTING LIFE, THE OTHER DEATH. THE SAME PORTRAIT SILHOUETTE APPEARS ACROSS ALL FOURTEEN PANELS, CREATING A CONSTANT PRESENCE AS THE STORY UNFOLDS.
THE SEVEN STAGES: EXPLOSION, TRAUMA, HEAL, DARKNESS, RENEWAL, FOCUS AND CHAMPION ARE EXPRESSED THROUGH MATERIALS DRAWN FROM NICK’S EXPERIENCE AND THE WORLDS SURROUNDING IT. MATERIALS FROM THE BATTLEFIELD, HOSPITAL AND SPORTING ARENA; SURGICAL EQUIPMENT, GAUZE, SILICONE TUBES, NUTS, BOLTS AND WASHERS, STAINLESS-STEEL CABLES, KEVLAR AND CARBON FIBRE ARE COMBINED WITH OIL PAINT. EACH PANEL BECOMES A PHYSICAL RECORD OF A DIFFERENT STAGE OF HIS RECOVERY.
ACROSS THE RELIEF SURFACES, MY ‘PAINTING ON AIR’ TECHNIQUE LIBERATES PAINT FROM THE CANVAS, TRANSFORMING TWO-DIMENSIONAL PIGMENT INTO INTERWOVEN THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES. PAINTED STRANDS FORM DELICATE YET REMARKABLY RESILIENT WEB-LIKE PATTERNS, RESEMBLING SPIDER SILK, LIGAMENTS AND LIVING TISSUE. APPLIED THROUGH DIFFERENT ‘BRUSHSTROKE’ ACTIONS OVER THE UNDERLYING RELIEFS, THE THREADS BECOME LIKE SKIN OVER FLESH AND BONE. VIBRANT, VIVID COLOURS INTENSIFY THE RAW EMOTION, WHILE THE FRAGILE-LOOKING STRUCTURES GAIN STRENGTH THROUGH CONNECTION.
AS THE SEQUENCE PROGRESSES, THE TWO PANELS OF EACH PORTRAIT GRADUALLY MOVE CLOSER TOGETHER. THE WIDENING SPACE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH BEGINS TO CLOSE; WHAT INITIALLY APPEARS DIVIDED AND VULNERABLE SLOWLY BECOMES MORE UNIFIED. BY THE FINAL CHAMPION PANEL, THE TWO SIDES ARE CLOSEST TOGETHER, REFLECTING NICK’S JOURNEY TOWARDS BECOMING WHOLE AGAIN.
THE WORK IS ULTIMATELY ABOUT THE RESOLVE TO MOVE FROM TRAUMA TO TRIUMPH – TO SEARCH DEEP WITHIN THE SOUL, FIND THE STRENGTH TO HEAL AND REBUILD, AND EMERGE STRONGER FROM DISASTER. IT BECOMES A PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF RESILIENCE: THE ABILITY TO GROW, DEVELOP AND TRANSFORM ADVERSITY INTO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.
DEATH IS NOT AN OPTION IN THE PURSUIT OF PERSONAL ILLUMINATION.”
Mark Humphrey
“WAR IS DEVASTATION, HORROR AND PAIN. BUT IN THE WRECKAGE SOMETHING SURVIVES, A SEED, A GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR RENEWAL AND GROWTH. UNBROKEN, THE DRIVE FOR REDEMPTION BEGINS ITS SLOW JOURNEY BACK. NICK BEIGHTON PT1 AND PT2 FOLLOW THIS THREAD AS IT SEEKS TO FIND ORDER IN THE CHAOS. IT IS A UNIVERSAL STORY SHOWING THE STRENGTH OF THE SOUL TO OVERCOME TRAUMA AND LOSS.”
Nick Beighton
British paracanoeist and former British Army officer
“AWESOME LOOKING AT THE PICTURES. IT ALL LOOKS EPIC! HEAD DOWN…!”
Nick Beighton
British paracanoeist and former British Army officer
“GREAT TO CATCH UP LAST WEEK AND SEE YOUR PROGRESS. IT’S COMING ON AWESOMELY.”
Nick Beighton
British paracanoeist and former British Army officer
Nick Beighton pt2 (Tragedy To Triumph: Metamorphosis Of Life), 2017-2018
Oil paint, acrylic, carbon fibre and metal
Unique work
H46 x W200 x D40cm
© Mark Humphrey
“ART HONOURS OUR HEROES ALSO EXPLORES THE JOURNEY FROM TRAUMA TO TRIUMPH – THE HUMAN CAPACITY TO FIND RESOLVE, REBUILD AND EMERGE STRONGER FROM ADVERSITY. FOLLOWING NICK’S STORY FROM THE LAND MINE EXPLOSION IN AFGHANISTAN TO BECOMING A PARALYMPIC CANOE CHAMPION AND BRONZE MEDALLIST AT RIO 2016, THE WORK EXPLORES WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE DEVASTATION, HORROR AND PAIN OF WAR.
FIVE SCULPTURAL PORTRAITS, EACH MOULDED OVER NICK’S HEAD, ARE CONSTRUCTED FROM BRASS, ALUMINIUM AND BRONZE MESH. APPEARING TO BLOW IN THE WIND, THEIR FORMS STRETCH AND TRANSFORM AS THOUGH CAUGHT BETWEEN COLLAPSE AND RISE. FROM WITHIN EACH HEAD, A SPINE DEVELOPS AND GROWS, BUILDING A BACKBONE OF STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE. FLESH-LIKE STRANDS EXTEND AND INTERTWINE AROUND THE SKELETAL STRUCTURES, SUGGESTING THE GRADUAL PROCESS OF HEALING, REBUILDING AND BECOMING WHOLE AGAIN.
THE PORTRAITS ARE CREATED USING MY ‘PAINTING ON AIR’ TECHNIQUE – A PROCESS THAT LIBERATES PAINT FROM THE CANVAS AND TRANSFORMS TWO-DIMENSIONAL PIGMENT INTO AN INTERWOVEN THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE. VIBRANT THREADS OF RAW EMOTION FORM DELICATE YET REMARKABLY RESILIENT WEBS, RESEMBLING SPIDER SILK, LIGAMENTS AND LIVING TISSUE. WHAT APPEARS FRAGILE BECOMES STRONGER THROUGH CONNECTION.
THE WORK ULTIMATELY EXPLORES THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME DISASTER RATHER THAN BE DEFINED BY IT. IT BECOMES A PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF RESILIENCE – THE ABILITY TO GROW THROUGH ADVERSITY AND TURN TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH.”
Mark Humphrey
“JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS VERY MUCH FOR SHOWING ME YOUR AMAZING WORK.”
Scott Simon, Head Coach
GB Paralympic Canoeing Team
