Dubai-based artist, Andrew Scanlan, has coined the term ‘cellular art’ to describe his unique paintings that evoke a sort of science of the eye. Similar to the Pointillist school of art, born in 19th Century France, Scanlan uses dots of pure colour, as opposed to fluid brushstrokes, to create a whole image.

Artists belonging to Pointillist movement such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac treated their style as a study of colour. They based their approach on the emerging principles of harmony and contrast of colour. They believed that by isolating points of pure colour, they would create a larger image that was more vivid and striking.

Scanlan’s approach seems to more philosophical. We visited an exhibition of Scanlan’s artwork, displayed at an exquisite villa in Jumeirah Golf Estates. The uniqueness of his work is striking. As though he has revived a forgotten art form, Scanlan’s contemporary interpretation of Pointillist principles is approachable yet novel.

Rather than looking to the past for inspiration, Scanlan’s distinct style was born out of experimentation. When asked whether he was inspired by Pointillist artists, he explained that it’s not artists that have inspired him but rather, characters. These are the characters he depicts in his work. Strangers, friends, celebrities and even animals – Scanlan’s inspiration stems from characters he encounters in the world around him. I believe his work is an attempt to capture the very essence of his subjects through these many small cells of colour, hence the term ‘cellular art’. The result is beautiful creations that convey at once chaos and harmony.

Scanlan creates original art works as well as fine art prints here in Dubai. Some of his works use a more abstract style wherein larger dots make up the whole image. Other pieces depict a sharper image, for which much smaller dots have been used.

In his work, Bowie in the Matrix, Scanlan uses relatively small dots of colour to create a vibrant image wherein he combines two iconic aspects of pop culture: David Bowie and The Matrix movie franchise. Scanlan spoke to us about his inspiration behind this painting. David Bowie’s music had a great impact on Scanlan during his formative years. After Bowie’s death, Scanlan sought somehow to preserve his legacy. He took the iconic image Shh, it’s David Bowie and tactfully illustrated it against the unmistakable backdrop of The Matrix. He envisioned Bowie hiding The Matrix as if he lives on in an alternate dimension, saying “Shhh, secretly I’m still here”. It was a way to show that an artist’s legacy perseveres even past death. The fluorescent tones of green resonate beautifully in painting as well as in fine art print form. This artwork would serve as a beautiful conversation piece as viewers can quite easily identify with the symbolism present.

Scanlan’s art piece, Yasmin, reads completely differently. In this piece, he uses large points of colour to create a bright optical illusion effect. Up close, the painting seems to depict arbitrary dots of colour. However, as you step further away, science of the eye comes into a play and the many dots slowly merge to depict the beautiful portrait of a woman in a brilliant red hijab. One of his first paintings, Scanlan describes how with the dots in Yasmin he, “wanted to experiment how big he could on a relatively small canvas”. When asked if he was attempting to making a cultural statement through this work Scanlan explained that though the diverse culturally landscape of Dubai is an ongoing inspiration for him, in this particular image he was attracted to the brilliance of colour and wanted to capture that through his cellular art style. The abstractness of this piece is quite stunning, captured in both painting and fine art print form.

Andrew Scanlan’s art speaks for itself. His pieces are modern yet timeless. In an attempt to make his art more accessible, Scanlan offers all his original paintings in top quality fine art print. Each piece is distinct and unique, sure to spark interest in any viewer. Discover more:

www.andrewscanlanart.com
info@andrewscanlanart.com