Tue, 13 Jun 2006
A show of colour
(click to view larger)
The hang went exceeding smoothly, thirteen pieces in all, six large works contrasted by seven much smaller pieces. I was able to achieve my trio format in what is an irregular space. The Halesworth Gallery is located in the town's old almhouses - split across three distinct spaces, with exposed beams, undulating distempered walls and a gently rolling oak floor. It is a gallery very much for artists, run by volunteers many of whom are also practising artists. Founded in 1966, early exhibitors included Elisabeth Frink, Felix Topolski, Mary Potter and Joseph Herman. It is perhaps not the perfect white cube by today's gallery standards, but each defined space has an intimate character of its own and a mellow light is filtered by the small windows. I am in the middle space, curiously occupying the artistic middle ground between the formal abstraction of Ray Burgoyne's work and the colourful narratives of Val Armstrong's prints. Whilst my work may on first encounter appear abstract, it is borne out of direct observation and influenced by the juxtapositions and variables of the natural and manmade environment. I took on the task of designing the PV invite and exhibition poster in which I found the common theme throughout our work was our use of colour, hence I came up with the title of the exhibition Colour Values - I'm rather pleased with that, as it alludes to the emotive qualities of colours as well as application, appearance and usage.

On walking back to the car park I came across what I considered to be a most beautiful object - a rusting oil can covered in small squares of silver gaffer tape. It was positively gleaming in the sunshine, an almost perfect colour harmony of turquoise and orange beckoning me forward. I have been playing with combining collage elements (using some of the remnants of my plastic painting experiments) with a more textural paint surface, and here was a shining example (a new addition to my found paintings) borne out of serendipity. Perhaps it is a sign that I should move away from a constant horizontal in which too many see a stylistic Rothko influence. This was not my intention, it is merely that I am fascinated by layers, edges and meeting points where materials and surfaces meld and fuse together. The horizon is all too prevalent in the local landscape, and so this too is reflected in the work. The oil can also strangely exhibited the same oranges and rusted browns that I had attempted to explore in one of my newest paintings Edgescape #10 Shrede.

I feel that my spirits have lifted in line with the warmer weather, much richer and more opulent colours are now creeping into my vision and into my palette...

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