ABSTRACT
This research seeks to explore charcoal market in painting using a restricted palette. The palette consists of gray and subdued primary colours employed to build up a structure in painting that evokes a somber mood and aesthetically document a charcoal market. The inspiration was derived from an environment that is overwhelmingly black and capable of absolving other colours thereby making them to lose their identity. Various aspects of the charcoal market were explored focusing on the activities of elements inherent in its different patterns. The paintings epitomize inquiry that embodies the processes which interpret and question social phenomenon through studio experimentation. It looked at the underlining aesthetics of charcoal market to capture the metaphor of the human spirit, of labour of ordinary people in an everyday situation. To achieve the set objectives, a conceptual framework was developed from the works of Piet Mondrian, Rick Stevens, John Virtue and Pablo Picasso to explore this pictorial design concept in series of six(6). The works are divided into two main areas of exploration and development stages. In the exploration stage, preliminary studies explored various notes and sketches for the main body of work. The development stage explored the possibilities of developing the sketches and colour study. The significance of this research describes visual experience from a charcoal market that can help probe more into colour relationships and design concepts. Findings reveal the development of conceptual allegories which transmit cryptic content relating to the environment and create aesthetic space for multiplicity of reading. The tendency to interpret a work in different perspectives can be from social, cultural, economic and philosophical or peculiar visual view-point. The executed paintings reflect environmental influence of charcoal on other colours making them assume another personality.