Neil Farber
dal 28/5/2009 al 26/6/2009
Segnalato da
28/5/2009
Neil Farber
Houldsworth Gallery, London
Table Cream. In his paintings, the artist continues to probe our modern neuroses, with no subject safe from his critical and mocking eye. Relationships, religion and community become the focus of the artist's wit with each work serving as a contemporary fable, but reminding us of our inherent folly.
Pippy Houldsworth is delighted to present Neil Farber's second solo exhibition in London of new paintings Table Cream from 29 May to 27 June. Alongside his individual practice, Farber is also one of the original members of the Royal Art Lodge (alongside Marcel Dzama and Michael Dumontier), the well known artists' collective from Winnipeg, Canada.
Farber now brings us a new cast of characters whilst developing a wider visual vocabulary in these seductively rendered paintings. He continues to probe our modern neuroses, with no subject safe from his critical and mocking eye. Relationships, religion and community become the focus of the artist's wit with each work serving as a contemporary fable, but reminding us of our inherent folly. At first sight, these works may appear childlike and innocent, but deep emotions and a dark humour smoulder under the rich three-dimensional surfaces. Working with pouring medium, acrylics, gloss gels and inks on Canadian birch panels whilst eschewing the delicate watercolours on paper of past years, Farber builds up each work with layers of rich glazes and painterly mark making.
Central to the exhibition is Fosston Reunion, a ten-panel composition recalling the actual event of the same name that occurred in 1990. Fosston, a tiny hamlet where the artist grew up, was at the time mostly inhabited by retired farm workers. The former residents of Fosston and its neighbouring farms returned for a weekend bringing the otherwise sleepy and forgotten town back to life. Fosston Reunion captures the strange assembly in a 'family photo', a happy and jubilant reunion of the local community and reunited friends.
Neil Farber has recently exhibited individually at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art, Denmark, Sies + Höke, Dusseldorf, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, the Center for Contemporary Art, New Orleans, and the Unviersity of North Texas Gallery. Works are in the collections of MoMA, New York and the West Collection, Pennsylvania. As part of the Royal Art Lodge, Farber has also exhibited at MoCA, Los Angeles, the Drawing Center, New York, the Power Plant, Toronto, De Vleeshall, the Netherlands, Seoul Museum of Art, Korea, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Ireland and was commissioned by the Liverpool Biennial in 2008 for a solo exhibition at the Bluecoat. In 2005, he was the cover artist for Comic Release: Negotiating Identity for a New Generation, published by DAP (Distributed Art Publishers), New York.
Opening night preview Friday 29 May 6-8.30 pm
Houldsworth Gallery
50 Pall Mall Deposit, 124-128 Barlby Road - London
Opening hours Wed-Fri 10-6, Sat 10.30-1 and by appointment
Free admission