The Polycephalus
What is it about?
The hypothesis of Lawton's doctoral research at the University of Kent was that the best writing to accompany an artwork is a work of fiction, a story that exists in the world that the viewer enters when they encounter the artwork, described through narrative and suggestion; texts written for paintings rather than about them. The following narrative ‘The Polycephalus’ was written for the exhibition: ‘As I Took Her Arm She Stared Through My Face at The Dark Branches of The Trees Over My Head’ that the writer curated and organized in Yellow (a project space for painting in Varese, Italy.)
Why is it important?
This fictional text is the result of research that establishes an effective strategy and philosophical framework for creative writing as art criticism and conducting practice as research. This framework was arrived upon through reflection on his own painting practice alongside analysis of Graham Harman's Object-Oriented philosophy.