Exposed Painting Dioxazine Violet 2006

Callum Innes created this painting, titled 'Exposed Painting Dioxazine Violet', using the reductive method of removing layers of paint with turpentine. The canvas reveals an engagement with post-modern notions of identity as fluid and unfixed, constantly exposed to external forces. Innes disrupts the idea of the canvas as a space of pure expression, instead presenting it as subject to processes of erasure. The violet tones have often been associated with royalty, spirituality, and mourning. However, Innes's use of this color challenges any straightforward symbolism. By 'exposing' the painting, Innes lays bare the constructed nature of visual experience. Innes's paintings offer a poignant reflection on the transient nature of existence, questioning the possibility of fixed identities in a world of constant change. The reductive technique mirrors the emotional experience of loss, where memories and identities are gradually eroded over time.