Artist Review
Richard Adams
‘New Works on Canvas and Paper’
The Arthouse 29 May to 17 June 2007
“Painting should improve as the artist matures, just as in jazz the more you play, the more you understand the value of improvisation and a greater sense of confidence can emerge.” Richard Adams, January 2006.
Richard Adams recent exhibition exemplifies the confidence of an artist in tune with his medium. He allows the painting to develop through the layers, the direction coming from a subconscious awareness of concept and openness to invention. Moving on from earlier works focused on time spent in Dubai a semblance of reminiscing is evident but has less dictation over the picture plane. Adams self-assurance with the control of oil paint applied to paper and canvas offers new and interesting developments to his geometric abstractions. Alternative methods include combining paper with canvas (‘Corner Orange’) another stage to the layering and development of the surface, one which combines the experimental and insightful. The idea of re-working a continuous build up of texture (‘Parker Reds – Series 2’) has taken a new strength that conveys movement across the canvas and a sense of passing time. Urban landscape and decaying surfaces, structure, colour and observed memory come together to inspire Adams work. Through various mark making treatments, surface coating and scratching, a sense of vigour and visual excitement is explored.
With the distinctly Adams style of block colours interrupting deconstructed layers and structured line alongside improvised strokes compose a balanced interplay of colour. Vivid blues and burnt oranges the overriding hues interspersed with striking greens, deep reds and white bands cutting across the horizontal and acting as a border (‘Blue Interrupted I’ and ‘Vue’). There is a considered approach towards presentation through clean crisp outlines of pure white or an original painting bordering from beneath as a tempting insight into the process of re-working (‘In the Pocket’ and ‘Blue Interrupted II’). Other works juxtapose pale with dark saturations (‘Black Gold’), striking colour coming out of intense depth (‘Vue 2’) and then a combination of subtle harmonizing shades (‘Believe’ and ‘Embellish’). This collective of works has variety in form, innovating application and depth of colour.
Take keen observation of the works on paper (‘Centre Line’, ‘Revealed’ and ‘Discover’) as they have distinct character and spontaneity that appeal through compelling and intuitive construction. With an inventive nature when it comes to paint on a canvas or a note on a violin string Richard Adams, artist and musician is improvising with a greater sense of confidence.
Erika Stone, June 2007
