cpdesign - chris parry artist

A.MEN a series of figurative abstracts, larger than life formal exploration of figurative painting. A group of 3 random men were selected to model for a still photo shoot which formed the basis of this series of works. Figuarative painting has long feathured in the history of painting, predominantly prior to the advent of the photograph. This series continued with the exploration of 'narrative' which began in 2005. Studying artists such as Paula Rego who combined narrative with figurative to create her works I saw these works as an opportunity to continue to explore paint and it's application creating the formal properties of the works allowing the representational elements to form the potential narratives. Unlike the 2005 series these works have a more restricted narrative reading.

The 2006 series were completed as final submission works towards BFA in 2006. This series explores a contemporary open narrative using both abstract figurative elements and process to build layers and hierarchy of forms. Wet and Dry paint forms mix with drawing based elements to construct potential narratives. The subject of these works is the concept of intimacy; the large scale supports present a grand and heroic mix of figurative elements with everyday domestic items establishing a context and association whilst defying the expected intimacy of figurative works. The palette uses earthy and natural colours to establish a sense of comfort which is occasionally punctured by areas of complimentary colour disrupting the intimacy. Relationships between the figurative elements convey a discomfort or lack of intimacy whilst the formal aspects of the work encourage the viewer towards a closer inspection establishing a more intimate relationship. This series draws on the established traditions of figurative and narrative works by Artists like Paula Rego and David Parks whilst exploring a contemporary approach to painting through process, resulting in an honesty of process which further enhances the narrative possibilities.

Discussion of the work above 'Sunday' and a Stacey Turner Painting - Chris Parry

Tension is one of life’s little inescapable necessities, it seems that tension in life is like salt to meat, it adds some flavour enhancing quality. It’s the spark between two opposing electrical currents, the power of opposite forces or states – like waking up and sleeping, day and night, dreams and reality, or simply black and white.  We revel in this tension it helps us know we are alive, in fact it seems to be hardwired into the mainframe so to speak or a viral mutation of the source programming – either way we cant get away from all these opposing forces, hippies have tried for years, the p.c. brigade followed them and neither succeeded. It’s like ‘an apple falling’ apparent rule of life and the way it all works, all things have opposites. Anyway the fun of it isn’t in explaining it – it’s in experiencing it, tension should be lived through, explored at any level or layer or definition you choose – participating in tension is compulsory.

Viewing two recent painting works by Chris Parry and Stacey Turner you cant escape noticing the tension inherent in these works, a struggle between light and dark – like a battle raging across both canvasses neither won nor lost, a moment of the struggle is preserved for further contemplation, remaining like a hangover from a hard night and now laid bare across a stretcher for art types to contemplate. Both works beckon the viewer to jump in, even if only metaphysically, and participate for a moment in the tension, exploring, reasoning and even relishing the dynamic elements of opposites. Tension is like that, it’s inclusive and embracing – it’s life.

Turners man sized stretcher provides an ample landscape ground for his array of complex polygonal forms to swirl and rotate across the picture plane. The complex skeletal tonal forms create an intricate dance of motion, weaving in and out of parts of each other as if creating or destroying in some organic process of mutation, or other agar dish type activity. The forms represent through tone the tensions and energy of the moment. Turners volumetric shades of black and white consume almost all available canvas space leaving only a corner of deep pictorial space – a void of black, negative space, apart from another couple of areas of this deeper pictorial space turner creates a flattened pictorial space with a modest depth. Areas of mostly mid-tone polygonal forms appear flattened and almost planar against more highly rendered areas of forms bestowed the pleasure of more tonal variety - it’s the tension of the complex and the uncomplicated.

Parry’s work is more intimate in scale than Turners but it’s no ‘nanny pic’ a slightly smaller than life square portrait work with a bold depth presents a similar tension to Turner but in a different way. Large planar areas of light sweep into the canvas in mostly rectilinear forms abruptly engaged against equally large areas of dark negative space, some of which form figurative elements silhouetted against the light ground. Minimal descriptive brushwork is used in these high contrast areas of tension in fact the few strokes used at times appear to float in this negative space as if fragmented from the whole and clinging to its edges like planets in orbit around the sun. The strong areas of dark disrupt the image creating a conflict and tension.
Whilst Turner employs a monochrome approach to unite his many forms into a sense of whole, Parry has used a very subtle and subdued organic palette – his soft green and gold hues are both comfortable and perhaps even domestically generic, they provide the viewer with some sense of usualness – an “I’ve been here before” type moment. Parry like Turner has created a shallow pictorial space, large areas of light and dark battle for fore,mid and background status creating a pleasant tension without the intricacy of turners polygonal forms. Parry has created a hierarchy of his forms through greater and lesser degrees of rendering; simple large colour fields with minimal descriptive brushwork sit against areas of greater description. Confident sweeping brush strokes, a gestural and expressive depiction of light, break through planar colour fields or more textural strokes of tone create surface description in some areas. Figurative representational aspects are reduced to simple colour fields or at best a tri-tonal rendering of simple volumetric form which seems desperately to cling to the surfaces of greater rendering, as if dissolving from actuality into a state of non-real representation. These less sensuous areas of painterly description almost become graphic, statuesque forms of negative space, it appears that is the point.

Whilst Turner uses only polygonal forms Parry’s linear, rectilinear and polygonal mix adds interest to his less complex arrangement allowing the viewer to enjoy each moment more fully – the asymmetrical composition engages the viewer in both works. Turner’s intricate formal arrangement is busy but not cluttered, swamping the viewer in swirls of motion and energy while Parry’s less complex forms create a stillness a sense of peace like apples and oranges in a fruit bowl – a safeness.

The fluidity and motion of Turner’s forms across his canvas is both horizontal and vertical and in keeping with his shallow pictorial space creates a wall-like interruption to the viewers desire for depth in 3Dimensional space. Turner’s brush work of forms at the corners and edges is softer and these forms tend to employ a greater tonal variety creating a slightly deeper and more sensuous space at these edges – a tease of what lies outside the picture plane. In contrast Parry’s forms are all contained within the picture plane adding to his ‘still-life’ type arrangement.

Both works create a differing moment of tension, equally as engaging, one less complex and perhaps more passive, and the other an intricate and large-scale work full of movement and dynamism. The joys of up and down, chalk and cheese or light and dark – it’s tension and it’s satisfying. These works embrace the duality of life - a captured moment of this tension.