PARS.- He calls himself a troglodyte with his brushes, oil paintings and large canvases among photographers with expensive cameras and long lenses. They all aim to capture the volleyball of beach during the Olympic Games 2024, but their approaches are quite different.
It’s a collage of moments, he said. painter British artist Peter Spens, 63, on his art. “While photography refers to a specific moment, painting brings back the spirit of the event.
This is Spens’ third Summer Olympics that the International Volleyball Federation has commissioned him to paint. While photographers manage to produce hundreds, if not thousands, of photos over numerous days of competition, he will only have one image: a painting.
We are so used as a society to pictures on phones now and everyone takes thousands of pictures every day, he said. Instead, he tries to focus on reality and express his perceptions through his paintbrush.
Location at the Olympic Games
Spens is working in one of the most recognisable and popular locations of these Olympic Games, overlooking the beach volleyball court with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop. His easel is positioned in the last and highest row of the stands, from where he has a wonderful vantage point of the work and the famous Paris landmark, a monument that presented a real challenge.
It’s a much more powerful symbol of the city of Paris than any of the previous works I’ve worked on, he said.
On a recent day, a large red umbrella cast a deep shadow over the easel, protecting the painting more than the artist himself. The heat had driven him to throw away his shoes, leaving him to paint in his socks. Nearby, a thermos of tea, a bottle of water and a Panama hat were within easy reach.
For almost a week, Spens had been immersed in his painting from morning to night, resting only for a short lunch. Despite his tireless efforts, only the silhouettes of the spectators, the players and the Eiffel Tower had emerged on the canvas. The final details of the painting would take shape as the winning team for the Olympic Games was decided.
I’m not anxious, I’m excited, he said, smiling about the work that still lies ahead.
As Spens draws in the audience – a changing crowd of hundreds each day – he concentrates on the individual faces and small details surrounding them. He probably knows the place better than anyone. Yet his painting does not claim to accurately replicate reality. Instead, it is an emotional capture of the fervour and excitement that fills the air as the Olympic Games progress, with each team striving to reach the final.
First volleyball painting
Spens created his first commissioned Olympic beach volleyball painting in London and then in Rio. He only missed the Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic. Over the years, his love for beach volleyball has grown and he appreciates the teamwork that is one of the greatest values of this sport.
I’m watching the best players in the world, he said.
Although Spens considers himself old-fashioned, he remains confident in the value of his work despite the proliferation of technology and the advancement of Artificial Intelligence.
My message would be to put your phone on silent and put it in your pocket and take out your sketchbook and colored pencils, she said. I would say that painting and drawing is a conscious and restorative activity because it puts you in touch with the world outside of yourself.
FUENTE: AP