Artwork
Triton
Triton is a watercolor work on paper by the Surrealist artist Ithell Colquhoun. It dates from 1971 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Triton is a watercolour artwork by Ithell Colquhoun, created using the Surrealist technique of 'decalcomania' or 'stylomancy'. This process involves applying paint to paper, folding it to produce a chance symmetrical pattern, and then interpreting the resulting image.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork depicts Triton, the ancient Greek sea god, reimagined as a Telchine, an underwater creature from mythology. This reflects Colquhoun's interests in mythology, magic, and occultism, with the spontaneous technique potentially tapping into her subconscious associations.
Technique & Style
Colquhoun employed 'stylomancy' to generate the initial symmetrical pattern by folding wet paper, with chance guiding the composition. She then refined the image using pencil and crosshatching in ballpoint pen, integrating controlled detail with the spontaneous base. The folding process created sharp creases, resembling scales and a beard, and imbued the sea with a sense of unpredictability.
History & Provenance
Created in an unspecified year after 1939, when Colquhoun began primarily working with Surrealist automatic processes. The artwork's provenance details are not provided in the available information.
Context
Triton's symmetrical composition echoes the Rorschach inkblot test, a parallel Colquhoun acknowledged in her 1949 essay 'The Mantic Stain', highlighting the intersection of Surrealist techniques with psychoanalytic influences of the time.
Legacy
As part of Colquhoun's oeuvre, Triton contributes to the broader legacy of Surrealist experimentation with automatic processes, though its specific impact or notable exhibitions are not detailed in the provided information.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ithell Colquhoun was a British painter, occultist, poet and author. Stylistically her artwork was affiliated with Surrealism. In the early 1930s she met André Breton in Paris, and later started working with Surrealist…
