NICK BEIGHTON PT2
Is there triumph in tragedy?
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
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
“NICK BEIGHTON PT2 (TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH: METAMORPHOSIS OF LIFE) 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
“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
