TJ Bateson - 'Iteration Arc'

Wednesday 5 - Sunday 16 December 2018

Click here for artwork by TJ Bateson

The curving arc of the brush slides down the canvas. In measured replication, the thin bands of paint capture a slice taken from a gigantic circle. TJ Bateson’s subdued tonal range calls our attention to the whispered differences between shades and tones. He layers the marks and gestures heavily, utilising the strata beneath to echo memories of the journey back to the surface story. In this case, it is a voyage of parading bowed stripes across the canvas that provides the form of this latest chapter: layered in black, silver and greys, with threads of gold and humming blues or earthy browns in between.

This new body of work is heavily driven by process. It is machine-like, but not arbitrary. It is scaffolded by mechanisms but still shows the traditional hand-painted line of the brush. Iteration Arc represents the latest telling of a narrative of paint. The simple replication of a line following a partial arc until it becomes a field of immersive colour and tone. It is ultimately a journey of freedom and triumph as much as it is a production of subtle beauty. The elaborate richness of the surface is a testimony to what can be done with one simple line if you repeat it often enough.