Take off, no landing

Cover art

Take off, no landing (2023), oil on canvas, 50cm x 50cm 

Artist statement

Take off, no landing is a painting that uses colour, layering and a combination of structured and ambiguous shapes to bridge the gap between a digital and analogue aesthetic. The painting explores perception, confusion and altered states of consciousness. I found creating the painting helpful in developing my understanding of differences in perception, particularly related to psychosis. 

I wanted the quality of the painted surface to evoke future, potentially digital, worlds. I took inspiration from film-based media such as 20th century director Andrei Tarkovsky’s films and the visual imagery created in Olaf Stapledon’s novels, particularly Star Maker. When reading this book, I was excited by the weightlessness of travel and how horizon lines and traditional markers of landscapes were not present. 

Jack is a HCPC-registered art therapist in Scotland, UK. He works in the third sector with children and young people as well as in the NHS within a mental health community rehabilitation team, and in an NHS learning disability service. He has a small painting practice and music practice. 

Submit your artwork

Jack’s art was submitted and selected for our online galleries. We are always looking for new artworks to share, and we often run themed calls for artwork.

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