'Indefinite' Exhibition
‘Indefinite’ Exhibition
Toi Gallery
Pātaka Art + Museum
Porirua City
December 2020 - January 2021
I began work on the pieces in this exhibition during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 - I spent a lot of time at home this year, and it took me a while to realise that the colours of my surroundings have sneaked into the paintings. There is the purple of the cat blanket, the colour of the pole outside my front door, the tiles in the kitchen, colour from the bedroom, and colours from my garden and the bush surrounding our house. As time evolved and the scale of the paintings increased they became more ‘fractured’ and more indefinite. There was also more emphasis on texture and depth of colour, but always with the same precision that I innately crave in my work - a sense of order even when things don’t quite seem clear.
Several of these paintings share the same outer shape, sometimes rotated or flipped, sometimes at very different scales. I enjoy imposing on myself the challenge of making sense of a shape to imply very different (usually impossible) three dimensional forms within the outer footprint.
The title ‘Indefinite’ is descriptive of both the ambiguous forms implied by these paintings and the strange time in which we currently find ourselves.
You can read more about each painting and see more detailed images by clicking on the painting titles below.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
1180 x 855mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
1150 x 875mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
I often use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Eleventh Hour is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape and size as Fracture, and is also the same shape as the smaller paintings Just Like That, Sedum Blocks, Remission and Three Eggs.
The name of this painting comes from it being the last one completed for this exhibition. It doesn’t seem to matter how much time I have, I always seem to work right up to the last possible hour!
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
680 x 520mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Like all the paintings in this exhibition, the colour palette for this one comes from my immediate surroundings. I have some Sedum plants in my garden, and in early summer the buds are just this shade of pale pink, with pale greyish green leaves - all fresh and new and bursting with promise.
Quite often I use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Sedum Blocks is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape and size as Three Eggs and Remission.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
680 x 520mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
First shown as part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua.
The slightly cryptic name of this one is a bit of a family joke - there is one member of my family who likes to eat a lot of eggs for lunch!
Quite often I use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Three Eggs is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape and size as both Sedum Blocks and Remission.
This painting is currently available at Mitchell Studios, Khandallah, Wellington.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
253 x 320 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.
As I was finishing painting this my son pointed out that it looked a little like an album cover he knew - it turned out the artist was called Wilkinson, so he thought I should call this one Wilkinson. . . . well, that would just be weird! So instead it’s named after the single that the album cover belongs to!
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
910 x 700mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.
I often use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Just Like That is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape as Fracture, Eleventh Hour, Sedum Blocks, Remission and Three Eggs.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
680 x 520mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
I started painting this when a friend was having chemotherapy. The painting was originally going to be entirely monochromatic apart from the coloured glow behind it. But as I was painting it my friend finished chemo and announced that the treatment had been a success. The change in my mood as a result of this news changed the painting considerably, and I added more colour and brightness. I find it really interesting how what is going on, or is on my mind, can so greatly affect what I paint and how.
This is the only painting in this exhibition with the red glow behind it. The close up images show it best. The strength of the coloured glow varies depending on the lighting and time of day. I like that it changes, in the same way that your brain can decipher different three-dimensional forms in the painting.
I often use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Remission is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape and size as Sedum Blocks and Three Eggs. It’s also the same outer shape as the larger Just Like That, Fracture and Eleventh Hour.
Currently available at The Artist’s Room Gallery, Dunedin.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
1175 x 900mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape, art from one small area, see if you can spot it! (it’s easier to see in the flesh)
I often use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Fracture is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape and size as Eleventh Hour, and is also the same shape as the smaller paintings Just Like That, Sedum Blocks, Remission and Three Eggs.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
356 x 314 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Quite often I use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Billow is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape as Pocket and 90 Degrees.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.
Billow has some nice edge detail colours that most of the other small paintings don’t have - I’m really happy with how they turned out, and I think I will explore more of this idea on small paintings in the future.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
356 x 314 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.
Quite often I use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Pocket is one of those variants - it is the same outer shapes as Billow and 90 Degrees.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
314 x 357 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.
We have quite a lot of hedge down the side of our driveway (and we’ve just extended it further). At certain times of the year I spend an awful lot of time trimming hedges. I actually really like it - if I’m stressed, or if I’m stuck with my painting then trimming the hedges is quite relaxing. I know it would probably be other people’s version of torture, but I like it! And I do it by hand, none of those silly electric things! This painting reminds me of neatly trimmed hedges.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
265 x 349 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
220 x 330 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.
The name for this one comes from the slightly uneven paving blocks that I see in this - like a tripping hazard.
The final image shows the painting prior to varnishing.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
915 x 800mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
This painting is on public view at Abstract Hotel, Upper Queen Street, Auckland, in the Gallery area, alongside two other paintings of mine and artworks by other artists.
Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
1150 x 790mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.
Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape - I’m a sucker for a challenge!