Symbolic Logic by Dominic Beattie, Jack Newling, Jane Harris, Katy Kirbach, Luey Graves, Mark Pearson, Rhys Coren, Richard Kirwan, Steve Dowson and Tim Ellis.
15 April 2014 - 31 May 2014
Opening Reception: Tuesday, 15 April 2014 from 7.00pm to 9.00pm
Expressionist lines, geometrical abstractions, surreal alterations and mythical figures are some of the visual clues presented in “Symbolic Logic”. The exhibition brings together 10 contemporary art practises from a cross-generational group of artists. “Symbolic Logic” demonstrates how paintings and their idiosyncratic set of symbols can polarise illusionary worlds.
George Boole in his study on Aristotelian logic aimed at creating a system of symbols and codes for translating the vagueness, equivocations and confusions deriving from ordinary language.
In a similar manner works in “Symbolic Logic” retain an inherent and codified language. Instead of subsuming to the incoherency of their codes, these works allow their visual narrative to penetrate the contingent logic of its symbols. In an interplay between realistic signs and optical abstractions, the viewer is able to dissolve into the enigmatic power of the works.
Dominic Beattie
Born 1981 in London, UK Lives and works in London, graduated with a BA in Visual Arts, painting at Camberwell College of Art. His recent exhibitions include “Albeit”, Fold Gallery, London; “New Order II: British Art Today”, The Saatchi Gallery, London; “This Is The End Of The Beginning”, Moorhouse Art, London; “This Is The Beginning Of the End”, Homefront Gallery, London; London Art fair, London Voida Voida, Le Petit Mignon, Berlin.
Jack Newling
Born in Nottingham, UK in 1983, Jack graduated with a BA in Fine Art at the fine art at the University of the West of England and a post-graduate diploma in Fine Art from the Royal Academy School in 2009. His recent exhibitions include “Then again”, SPACE, London; “The man who knew too little”, Seventeen, London; “Clouds”, Fold, London; “Your garden is looking a mess please tidy it up”, Payne and Shervell, London.
Jane Harris
Born in Dorset, UK in 1956, Jane Harris graduated with an MA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College in 1991. She resigned from her role as Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College in 2006 to move to south-west France with her family and concentrate fully on her career as an artist. Solo exhibitions include Southampton City Art Gallery (UK) 2001, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (USA) 2005 and the Libourne Musée des Beaux Arts (France) 2014. Harris’ work is included in many public and private collections around the world including the Arts Council Collection (UK), Government Art Collection (UK), Colorado University Art Museum (USA), Rhode Island School of Design Museum (USA), FRAC Acquitaine, FRAC Limousin and Lieu d'Art et d'Action Contemporain (LAAC) de Dunkerque (France).
Katy Kirbach
Born in the U.S.A. in 1986, Katy Kirbach graduated with a BA from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2008, and with a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Royal Academy Schools in 2011. She was the Abbey Scholar in Painting at the British School at Rome in 2012-2013. Recent exhibitions include “I Cheer a Dead Man’s Sweetheart”, De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, U.K.; “Acid Blush”, Christian Larsen Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden; “Please Be Quiet”, British School at Rome, Italy; “Woman’s Hour”, HorizonVerticaal, Haarlem, Netherlands; “Abstract Critical Newcomer Awards”, Kings Place Gallery, London, U.K.; “Night Shift”, Simon Oldfield Gallery, London, U.K.; and “Got the Blues for Red”, Christian Larsen Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
Luey Graves
Born in London in 1987, Luey graduated with a BA in Fine Art at the Slade School of Fine Art and a post-graduate diploma in Fine Art from the Royal Academy of Arts in 2012. Her recent exhibitions include “Semblances”, Horatio Jr, London; “Image/Object”, Furini Contemporary, Rome; “ING Discerning Eye selected by Loyd Grossman”, The Mall Galleries, London; The Creekside Open selected by Paul Noble, London; “Seduction”, Simon Oldfield at 6 Carlos Place, London. She won the Worshipful Company of Painters' and Stainers' Gordon Luton Award for Painting in 2012 and the Land Securities Studio Residency at the Bow Arts Trust, London 2012-2013.
Mark Pearson
Born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire in 1966, now lives and works in London. Mark graduated with a MA in Fine Art at the Goldsmith College, London in 2000. His recent exhibitions include “Magic 8 Ball”, Fold Gallery, London; “Image/Object”, Furini Arte Contemporenea, Rome, “Forward Thinking”, Horatio Jnr, London; “Saatchi Gallery in Adelaide: British Art Now”, Art Gallery of South Australia; “Newspeak, British Art Now”, Saatchi Gallery London (Catalogue).
Rhys Coren
Born in Plymouth, UK in 1983, now lives and works in London. Rhys graduated with a BA in Art & Visual Culture at the University of the West of England and studying a post-graduate diploma in Fine Art from the Royal Academy School. His recent exhibitions include “Beat the Box”, Corfu, London, UK; “Apparel & Ornament: A research project by SPACE and Rhys Coren”, SPACE, London, UK; “The Man Who Knew Too Little”, Seventeen Gallery, London, UK; “A Guide To The Galaxy”, Gloria Maria Gallery, Milan, Italy; “The Shortest Video Art Ever Sold”, Moving Image Art Fair, New York City, NY, USA; “Decenter”, Abrons Arts Center, New York City, NY, USA.
Richard Kirwan
Richard Kirwan (b.1969) describes himself as ‘an artist who makes paintings’. His work is characterised by a restricted palette of colour, coupled with hard-edged geometry, recalling the disciplines of Modernist architecture and design. His work has been widely exhibited with shows at venues including Baden Württembergischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany, Edificio Cultura Inglesa, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 51st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art, Venice, Italy, The British School at Rome, Italy, Transpallette Art Contemporain, Bourges, France, The Saatchi Gallery, London, The Walker Gallery, Liverpool, The Harris Museum, Lancashire and the Royal Academy of Art.
In 2012, his work was included in the influential exhibition The Indiscipline of Painting: International Abstraction from 1960 to Now at Tate Gallery, St Ives. In 2013, Kirwan exhibited his work at the Institute of Contemporary Art, London, and The Barbican Centre, London.
Steve Dowson
Born in Denton, Manchester in 1970, Steve graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1998. His exhibitions include The Origin of Parties (with Toma Abts & Gareth Jones) at Greengrassi, London 1999, a solo exhibition at Sadie Coles H.Q. London in 2001, Norwich East International 2007, East Pavilions 2011, and Steve was the regional prize winner for East England in the National Open Art Competition 2012..
Tim Ellis
Tim Ellis was born in Chester in 1981. He studied at Liverpool John Moores 2000-2003 and the Royal Academy Schools 2006-2009. Future exhibitions include '100 International Contemporary Painters' The ICA, London 2014 and publication by Thames and Hudson. His Solo exhibitions include 'Where We End and You Begin' Horatio Jr, London 2013, ‘We Belong Together’ Identity Art, Hong Kong 2013, ‘Sons of Pioneers’ Furini Contemporary, Rome Italy 2011. ‘The Tourist’ SpaceX Exeter England 2011 and ‘A Foundation for Exchange’ Primopiano Lugano Switzerland 2010. Selected Group exhibitions include 'Image/Object' Furini Contemporary, Rome, Italy 2013, 'Caramel Blush' Corfu, London 2013, 'Magic 8 Ball' Fold Gallery, London 2013, ‘Secret Societies’ The Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, Germany and the CAPC, Bordeaux, France 2011-12. ‘Friendship of the Peoples’ Simon Oldfield Gallery London 2011. ‘Newspeak - British Art Now’ Saatchi Gallery London. 2010. John Moores Painting Prize 26', The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool 2010. He was Glenfiddich Artist in Residence in 2011 and lives and works in London.
About Identity Art Gallery
Art is Long, Life is Short. Identity Art Gallery brings together visionary art identities who respect art as a lifelong, enduring creative endeavour existing outside the realms of fads and fashion. We discover and promote artists from all four corners of the world, whose strong inner visions foster, seduce, confront and bolster our identities across a diverse range of media, in unusual, direct and lasting manners. Beauty and colors are our mutual interest; simplicity and integrity our common language. Forging links and synergy among like-minded artists, collectors, galleries and curators through solo exhibits and group collaborations, our ultimate vision is to cultivate an environment where creativity and identities may further flourish.