In his second solo exhibition in São Paulo, Richard Galpin continues to develop the technique and visual language of his ‘peeled photographs.’ As before, each work is a unique photograph where elements of the surface are selectively removed. The recent works from the Cluster Works series, however, demonstrate a greater confidence in the development of a visual language, where the evidence of the original photograph and the newly created forms dynamically interact.
Cluster XXXVII (Maximopolis) is one of the largest works of this kind that the artist has ever produced. Based on a Manhattan landscape, the ambitious scale of the work submerges the viewer in a stunning scenario of abstract colors. In the foreground blocks, soft textures suggest the surface of a lively crowd built in relation to the complex backdrop of the city.
In Cluster XXX (Angelosopolis) and Cluster XXXIV (Gallusopolis), the artist removes more from the background to create centralized compositions that invite figurative associations. In these works, the background constructions seem to tense elements in the foreground, giving the works a sculptural appearance. Entirely new forms are crafted from the city.
Two smaller works, based on forms of London transport, can be remotely deciphered in a pictorial manner. In Cluster XXXVIII (Autopolis), the city’s reflection on a vehicle’s windshield appears shattered and fractured, with vibrant color gems. Meanwhile, in Cluster XXXV (Omniopolis), another icon of London transport is discernible only through an impressionistic diffusion of the image.
Richard Galpin’s exhibition at Galeria Leme showcases the artist’s development in his work with the refined language of the Cluster Works series, while expanding the scale and object beyond the sculptural and pictorial associations of the artworks.
A publication covering Richard Galpin’s work from the past six years titled ‘Surface to Surface: Richard Galpin’ will be launched during the exhibition, by Galeria Leme in association with Hales Gallery from London and 99 Uitgevers/Publishers from the Netherlands.