Town’s lucky to have Chris – champion of contemporary art
Chris Shaw, owner of the Three Works Gallery, has done me a favour by going back to his original Three Works concept: only three pieces in any one exhibition, writes Mike Tilling. The ‘favour’ is to save me going through my usual routine of walking round an entire exhibition, selecting just a few works for detailed viewing and then going back later.
Three Works encourages meticulous scrutiny rather than the superficial attention afforded to paintings in most larger galleries.
It is the Three Works idea that lies at the core of Chris Shaw’s concept of how art should be experienced. In conversation with Chris, he suggested that his latest exhibitor’s work – Victor Payares – frustrate(s) any sort of attempt at interpretation.
I disagree. Certainly Red Dirt Lovin’ Bird, the most abstract of the three, is difficult to pin down but the other two- Total Recall; Learn the Unlearning and Untitled – all three, acrylic on canvas, 200x180cms – have one foot in realism with recognisable imagery: a person here, a landscape there.
To me, the paintings look as though they have initially been recognisable images.
Payares has then extracted the essence by abstracting the shapes. The paint is thickly applied and he then emphasises his intention to get below the surface by cutting through the exterior level to reveal another layer of paint underneath.
The effect of this is to distance the viewer. You are asked to look and make judgements but you are not invited into the artist’s space. This does not mean that the pieces are cold. There are bursts of colour that speak of energy and the slashes in the paint are an exuberant touch.
Payares is the latest in a long line of painters who have exhibited in Scarborough, thanks to Chris.
They may not all be to the taste of the Scarborough public but anyone with an open mind must applaud the innovation, richness and diversity that Three Works adds to our cultural life.
Since it opened, Three Works has brought the work of more than 40 contemporary artists to Scarborough. Chris also runs art classes. The exhibition runs until November 27.