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1/12/2005

Between Dog and Wolf

Clapham Art Gallery Unit 2, London

Emma Bennett and Dominic Shepherd

EMMA BENNETT graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 1998 with an MA in Fine Art after completing her BA (Hons) at Central St Martins. Bennett has exhibited at Danielle Arnaud and Pumphouse Gallery as well as participating in many international art fairs including Art Brussels, Artissima, Berliner Liste and Kunst Zurich.

DOMINIC SHEPHERD is also a graduate of Chelsea College of Art and Design, completing his MA in 1995 and BA (Hons) in 1988. Shepherd has a long exhibiting history including Oriel Mostyn, John Moores, Zoo Art Fair, London Art Fair, Art Frankfurt, Berliner Liste and Kunst Zurich.

Emma Bennett's painting explores the relationship between abstraction and representation; contemporary and historical; signifier and signified. Her work is a celebratory combination of languages consisting of appropriated imagery from Dutch painting of the seventeenth century set against monochromatic grounds. Bennett's recent work focuses on Dutch flowers, which are most commonly painted in oil on dark French enamel. Her enamel work reveals an abstract sensibility that embraces the physicality of the materials used. Bennett manifests pouring techniques that were developed throughout the 20th century and which reached their zenith with the New York School with a subtle sophistication. Combined with varying compositional arrangements of Dutch flowers Bennett's works explore the emotions associated with love, death and loss; that is desire, fear and vulnerability.

Dominic Shepherd creates beautifully interwoven all over canvases. By combining vast collections of visual data he creates imaginary worlds based on nature, fantasy and poetic sentiment. Reaching back beyond Modernism Shepherd looks to Redon, Brueghel, Blake and Friedrich for spiritual solace as he builds his personalized, emotive works. Populated by birds, insects and solitary figures set amongst fecund trees, undergrowth and lakes, Shepherd's paintings are poignant and meditative. The audience is cast as voyeur, looking into a secret, unknown world that we might long to be part of; an imaginary time and place that is summoned by great artists and poets of the past.

Together Bennett and Shepherd are two artists who represent a very current mode in contemporary practice. They are celebratory painters who unashamedly embrace the past as well as the present. They explore romantic tendencies such as beauty, nature, solitude, heightened emotional experience and individualism in order to realize their mysterious, melancholy paintings.

Opening: December 2

Clapham Art Gallery Unit 02
40-48 Bromell's Road - London
Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-6pm

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