‘A Chapel of Pop Art’: LUCIAN’s Latest Collection at The Artist Workspace Gallery
It’s a rainy Saturday in London’s Soho - an area brimming with creativity and integral to the art world. The Photographers Gallery, the first gallery in the UK to be devoted solely to photography, is close by on Ramillies Street. I’m here, amidst the mayhem of Frieze Week, to meet with London-based artist LUCIAN at The Artist Workspace Gallery. Trained at Camberwell College of Arts, his newest collection ‘Halfway Between An Atom And A Star’, is his second to be curated by Zoë Goetzmann.
It’s a curious title, one that evokes ideas of the abstract before even setting eyes on the artworks. It’s with that our discussion opens.
“It’s a quote from Sir Arthur Eddington” LUCIAN explains, “I first heard of it reading works from the poet Edith Sitwell. It really resonated with me. I have this interest in the meeting between the abstract and the figurative and how art can coexist within both of those at the same time”.
It’s this synergy of styles that is incredibly present in the collection. The central piece, a re-envisioned triptych, offers the proportioned accuracy of figure painting whilst coexisting within a bold, colour-saturated space.
“Colour is never something I kind of adhere to”, the artist continues, “I’m sort of looking for something really gestural and powerful.”
This search for the powerful seeps into each artwork - whether through colour, form, or even symbolism. The central piece of this collection, pictured to the right, is a playful, modern reimagining of The Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald and Nikolaus of Haguenau. The two figures - the artist and his wife - mimic the crucifixion of Christ.
Expanding on his fascination with the impressive, LUCIAN reiterates it is a driving force in his work. “I’m not religious and these aren’t about religion, but they do look into this idea of trying to capture the grandness that the subject matter requires”.
He is quick to emphasise, “I always think art should be able to communicate in the most superficial way possible, whether you understand it or not.” It is a democratic view of the visual arts, one that does not require an education reserved for the elite few. LUCIAN continues, “There’s a quote I really like that says, ‘great poetry communicates before it’s understood’”. And communicate it does. Each piece is a testament to the skill and care the artist takes when exploring colour and texture.
LUCIAN’s works are also intentionally repetitive. A subject is studied at length, and multiple variations of composition are explored.
“It’s the repetitive nature of pop art that I really like”, he divulges. “I love how a subject can become really interesting once you repeat it thirty times. But what you don’t get is the material quality of paint, the texture, and being able to see the hand of the artist at work. What I try to do often is combine the repetitive power of pop art with the gestural excitement of painting”. It’s standing within this ‘Chapel of Pop Art’ – so dubbed by Goetzmann – that these ideas become truly apparent. Repetition is everywhere.
The ‘Seven Virtues’ are a group of seven paintings inspired by the Piero del Pollaiuolo and Botticelli works of the same name. In each painting, a hand has been placed in the foreground, blocked out in black oil paint.
It’s the backgrounds that offer a true study into the effect of colour on composition and expression. LUCIAN steers away from the monochromatic or neutral, his backgrounds are often colourful and artfully disordered, an effect heightened by his use of collage. Here, magazine clippings and images add layers and texture to the piece. The result is one of delightful intrigue. The piece fascinates the viewer, allowing one to analyse each painting as the compositions take on anthropomorphic qualities.
The same is seen with ‘The Three Graces’ to the left. Each one is a repeated form that welcomes in the abstract nature of colour and texture. The artist keenly explores the impact that both have on viewership and composition.
‘Halfway Between An Atom And A Star’ is a captivating insight to the impact of colour on artworks and their environments. LUCIAN’s works transformed a plain white room into a celebration of colour. The precision and skill required to achieve exact forms is evident, capabilities that work in perfect synergy alongside the artist’s creative exploration of colour theory.
Much like stars, this collection is explosive and immense - a love letter to the universal nature of art.
Keep up with LUCIAN, Here: www.bylucian.com
Visit The Artist Workspace Gallery, Here: www.theartistworkspacegallery.com
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