STINKHORN - Jacob Cartwright

About

Bureau presents STINKHORN, Jacob Cartwright's first solo show, and the inaugural exhibition in the gallery's new Port Street space. The exhibition features new and recent paintings that display a range of diverse and eclectic subject matter. Cartwright's individual approach to imagery forces incongruous connections between things, conflating material drawn from a range of personal, historical and encyclopaedic sources. Taking mankind's confused relationship with the natural world as a starting point, the works in STINKHORN exploit literature, popular culture and obscure personal references to present fictions and imaginary scenarios. Cartwright paints on shaped boards, meticulously scaled up from small, casually drawn forms. The edges of the boards are irregular rather than ‘true', thus creating the sensation of a shifting ground - undermining formal regularity in favour of ambiguity. The materials he uses — gesso, Indian and sepia ink and watercolour — are suggestive of conservative attitudes in terms of manufacture and application. These ‘genuine' artists' materials are evocative of traditions and an almost epicurean preciousness — qualities that are both seductive and antagonistic. He wilfully plays with this duality. Cartwright wants his work to mesh representational aspects with process (the facture or material story) - and to create a tension between the possibilities for literal reading and fluid interpretation. ------------------ Please note: the gallery will be closed for Christmas & New Year from 20th December 2009 to 12th January 2010. The exhibition re-opens on Wednesday 13th January 2010.