7th July 4:30pm, Peer Gallery, London
To mark the closing of Peer Gallery’s exhibition of Robert Holyhead’s “Paintings and Works on Paper” Sherman Sam acted as interviewer in an informal and informative conversation.
Firstly the gallery looked great! The watercolour studies were lined up on white shelves in the first room, with the conversation held amidst the six oil paintings created for the space. The process of the paintings is fascinating, a carefully prepared ground taking months to set can only be worked over a 24 hour period. This gives the paintings a sense of time, from the flowing, cloud like forms of Untitled to the bright, quicker greens of a smaller, carefully edged piece.
Holyhead uses the process of pigment removal to create the stark, white areas in his work. The colours are generally gentle, flowing smoothly over a high gloss surface. Sam was great as interviewer, asking questions to inform and opening the floor up to the audience. The conversation was a real insight into Holyhead’s practice, and highly enjoyable.
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