Shadows, cinema and the art of noir.

Hitchcock's 'Shadow of Doubt'

Why do shadows recur so often in my writing, photos and paintings? Not wanting to delve too far into my own psyche, I can only say that I was undoubtedly impressed as a child by film noir (especially Bogart films such as The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo) and Hitchcock films, and I still am. The portrayal of the otherworldly side of society and the darker side of human nature was powerfully conveyed on the big screen by extensive use of lighting effects and shadow. Night scenes with single-source lighting and long shadows were especially effective and suspenseful. I find that shadows provide an outline of form, but to me they are transient, vague and often hallucinatory. These qualities allow the shadow to serve as metaphors for a range of dramatic feelings and emotions. The ambiguity of the shadow is another critical element and one reason they feature in my thoughts and creative work. I lived in Europe for several years and loved the forests, spending invaluable time in Switzerland and Germany walking amongst the trees. European forests often have a gothic feel, a dark brooding and mysterious quality which is incredibly enticing. The German expressionists and film directors such as Hitchcock used this to great atmospheric effect. There are ultimately very few pictures I create which do not have a tree, or part of a tree, in there somewhere. In many of my paintings I search for classic frames of reference, often using forests as backdrops or street-lights to illuminate critical elements in a scene. Those elements within the composition are usually carefully constructed but almost always are based on one of many spontaneous ink sketches I produce in my spare time (ie. late at night). The use of shadows can heighten both the perspective or depth of a scene and its mood. And not infrequently, a shadow will take centre stage and provide the focal point of a painting.
Author: Beric Henderson