Compositions
ABSTRACT DRAWINGS ARE LARGELY or entirely free from
figurative representation—that is, free from the direct imaging
of known physical things. Their energy can therefore be
a purer expression of an idea or emotion.
These two works present complex compositions with
differing intensions and methods of making, but similarities
in mood, structure, and choice of hues. They each find their
pathways and equilibrium in atmosphere and suggestion,
using the viewer's eye to track and unfold layers of meaning.
Catling's torn paper shapes and shadows spill light out of their
frame like a fractured mirror. Oval moons eclipse each other
and oscillate between landforms and portraiture; rocks or
heads in a subdued atmosphere of dream. Klee's mathematical
maze of thinly washed surface resonates with meticulous
planning. With no depth of field, it is ruled and contained
in one dimension by its interlocking ink-lined borders.
BRIAN CATLING
British sculptor poet, performance and installation
artist, filmmaker Professor of Fine Art, Ruskin School,
and Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford. Catling's works
made for international galleries and museums involve
drawing as a tool in their development and making.Mixed media This is a collage of torn white and gray tissue
paper previously stained with ink; gold paint and iridescent
gouache mixed with water; and water-resistant layers of
spray and enamel paint on thick paper. Catling's abstract
drawings are usually made in series and in parallel to written
poetry and sculptural installations.Untitled 2001
2001
153 / 4 x 215 / 8 in (400x 550 mm)
BRIAN CATLINGABSTRACT
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