North East West new Paintings by New Paintings by David Caldwell, Massimo Franco and Daniel Shadbolt

About

Massimo Franco, David Caldwell and Daniel Shadbolt  have been friends for a long time. They came together whilst studying at the Royal Drawing School in 2004. Over the years they have shared studios and subjects. They have painted each other many times.

Each artist has his distinct voice but there is undoubtedly something shared in their work - perhaps down to common influences, perhaps even influenced by one another. Whatever the reasons, there is a discernible shared ideal: that is to paint, to record the world around them, and to make something permanent that will endure despite the subject.  The three are united by paint, each committed to the medium and engaged in a dialogue with its history in Western painting.

There is a mutual respect amongst them, perhaps a self-recognition in their counterparts, or a shared understanding of the solitary trials of the painter. Each on his own path strives towards a common goal,: taking on the traditions of Western art - still-life, the figure, the landscape:, whilst responding to the world around them;

Their work reflects this world, scrutinises it. It is a comments on the human condition. Whether through unpeopled cityscapes or seemingly accidental still-lifes, the pictures burn with human presence, with stories untold and suggest a world outside the picture plane. Narrative is deliberately avoided but there is a an undeniable sense of human presence in these works. Apparently mundane, everyday subjects are painted repeatedly and intensely, making them all the more intriguing. Figures meditate in silence, seemingly frozen in eternal thought; still-life become anthropomorphic; cityscapes and interiors become stage sets with the players having either just left or about to enter. 

Additionally, painting itself becomes the subject, with each artist keen to exploit the figurative/abstract duality of the medium in his attempt to construct something permanent. The work on display, though unashamedly representational, belies a shared preoccupation with the formal aspects of picture-making; those of composition, structure, form, balance and so on. That the paintings can 'fend for themselves' is important to each artist.

This exhibition is the first that the three have held together. It attempts to focus on subjects in common in order to create dialogue and comparison. It looks at how three artists deal with similar subjects in different ways; highlighting not only what unites them but also what sets them apart.

Daniel Shadbolt
Massimo Franco 
David Caldwell

Private View - Thursday 5th November 7-10pm
Exhibition Continues until Monday 16th November 

Mercer Chance Gallery,
253 Hoxton Street, N1 5LG
www.mercerchance.co.uk

Gallery Opening Hours:
11am-6pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Monday to Friday call Rachel on 07715816779 to make an appointment.

For press enquires, photo/interview requests and sales contact:info@mercerchance.co.uk
07715816779