ART CITIES:Dubai-Philip Taaffe
Philip Taaffe derives inspiration from a variety of sources, including Islamic architecture, Pompeiian mosaics, 1960s Op Art, and 19th Century monographs on natural history. As in the work of his historical mentor Henri Matisse, Taaffe embraces decorative elements of painting; in his own way he employs them as fragments or quotations indicative of a “cultural reality” of civilizations past or present. Through his vision, these elements are forged into a newly illuminated whole.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Leila Heller Gallery Archive
In is current body of work that is on presentation at Leila Heller Gallery, Philip Taaffe derives inspiration from familiar sources, including natural history illustrations, Roman mosaics, microscopic imaging of Viking artifacts, Syrian embroidery pattern books, masks from Mongolia and the Far East, and devices drawn from calligraphy and book design. Optical vibrancy and visual energy underlie these images, reconnecting abstraction to the natural world and exploring the convergence of the optical and conceptual. “I think the power and possibilities for painting today has to do with binding it to a cultural legacy,” says Taaffe. “Painting is where these symbolic languages or forms somehow crystallize and reveal their ancestry — and that in turn shows a certain sense of future possibility”. A striking feature of the paintings in this exhibition is that none of them use the same palette or include the same imagery. Compositionally, the paintings range from compressed layers to airy patterns, such as “Nocturne with Architectural Fragments” (2014), with its layered structure of geometrical lines. Vibrantly colored and heavily patterned, these lines optically vibrate; a mesmerizing experience that compels you to shift your attention between the overall pattern and the individual, oscillating figures, inducing an effect that is both dizzying and pleasant. At the same time, the subtle play between symmetry and asymmetry in this and other paintings is key to our experience of them. By disrupting the pattern through shifts in color or the deployment of similar but subtly differing forms, Taaffe activates the visual field to the point that one must keep making distinctions, such as undoing the bond between figure and ground. In terms of the internal pictorial narrative, he attempts to tell a story by incorporating diverse geographical and historical subjects and themes, bringing together certain references in unprecedented ways. Taaffe’s close attention to similarities and differences imbues his paintings with a state of heightened seeing often associated with hallucinations. The radiant light coming from within the paintings, the oscillations and sudden shifts between figure and ground enhance our experience. Through his evolving practice, Taaffe seems to have evolved into a conductor of trance states in a digital age. Taaffe himself has remarked upon this fundamental operation in his aesthetic: “My attitude towards repetition has to do with the cumulative effect of continuous applications of line and color. If we focus on that, and see them as crystallized into patterns or marks, what do they add up to? They become some type of actively structured field. I see that as being an entrance to a trance-like state. I’m interested in inviting the possibility for ecstatic experience, for getting outside of stasis”. Through his imaginative mélange of art forms and techniques, Taaffe has dissolved the barriers separating artisanship from painting, effectively redefining painting.
Info: Leila Heller Gallery, I-87, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, Duration: 19/3-31/8/18, Days & Hours: Sat-Thu 10:00-19:00, www.leilahellergallery.com
