Pippy Houldsworth Gallery presents an exhibition of new paintings and sculptures by young British artist Gabriel Hartley. Characterised by bold, linear brushstrokes, Hartley’s paintings are constructed through a process of layering and redacting. The artist will begin by painting a vibrant, colourful undercoat before covering it with an additional layer. In turn, paint is scraped away, or sprayed off using a hose, leaving behind marks that reveal the blemished colours of the underlying surface. Identifiable shapes teeter in and out of focus, hinting at primitive, interlocking figures before dissolving into abstract motifs.
This process also determines the formation of his sculptures, which are made by pressing pieces of ripped foam against the wet surfaces of his paintings. This action leaves an imprint of the sculpture on the painting, whilst simultaneously depositing remnants of the paint onto the foam. Mirroring the shapes which feature in his paintings, these crumpled forms are subsequently coated in resin so that they stand erect on the floor.
Gabriel Hartley (born in 1981) lives and works in London. He holds a BA from Chelsea College of Art and Design, London and a Post Graduate Diploma from the Royal Academy, London. His work has been shown internationally in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including Saatchi Gallery, London; Josh Lilley Gallery, London; Foxy Production, New York; Royal Academy of Arts, London; Jerwood Space, London; The New Art Gallery Walsall; The Moving Museum, London; Praz-Delavallade, Paris; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and Kinman, London. In 2007, he was selected as one of the Bloomberg New Contemporaries. In 2008, his work was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize. In 2013, Art Review selected Hartley as one of the Future Greats.
Gabriel Hartley: Lozenges – Pippy Houldsworth Gallery – 12 June 2015 to 22 August 2015