Gallery Visits 16.05.24

First visit, Kristin Carlin at Melanie Roger Gallery.

Take aways: the artist painted the walls with blue acrylic gestural marks to make it seem like the sky. Actually felt more like walking into a swimming pool. Interesting way to present paintings. Paintings were done on aluminium panel with ground.

Next stop: Two Rooms. ‘Theatre’ with exhibiting artists; Gretchen Albrecht, Matt Arbuckle, Basil Beattie, Marie Le Lieve, Leigh Martin, Robin White & Ebonie Fifita and photographs by Ann Shelton

Take aways: grand scale of the canvases from each artist. Belgian linen used by GA the canvas texture was very noticeable and seemed to absorb the paint and present a Matt finish. Loved horizontal gestural paint stripes especially the drips and start and end points. Marie LL colour planes and layering and edges and the blank canvas. Like red sheets placed onto of each other. RW&EF use of natural dyes.

Then Fox Jensen. End of Mark Francis exhibition and installing Geoff Thornley.

Take aways: Mark Francis work was vibrating with ‘noise’ when the painted strips overlapped. Interesting discussion about what kind of music would we hear were it audible. Geoff’s work was interesting and the beige/skin tone over painting in a loose grid format hid what was originally painted, but thin lines of colour could be seen. Like the interplay between the blocking tonal colours and the sneak peak of something painted previously. Also, there was evidence of layering fabric onto the canvas and then painting over, leaving a delicate change of texture and step in the surface. Might try adding muslin to a canvas and seeing how that works like a discrete patch. Also there was a book on show about Mark Francis which had some interesting grids and mesh and knots and the shadows cast and the lattice effect. See if I can borrow that book from somewhere. Both artists working with the grid - masculine treatment of the grid.

Then Trish Clark Gallery: Stephen Bambury. Take aways, Installation of series of framed works on paper right up to one of the walls.

Final stop: RM Gallery. ‘Threads’ exhibition by Amanda Mackenzie. Installation made out of wire coat hangers. Take away. The recycled paper hanging on the walls and on the floor. The patterns created from the fused coat hangers. The artists blurb.