John Hurrell – 8 November, 2010
His images are becoming more complex, but instead of the emphasis being on tinted shape, its computer-cut/masked contours, and the exposed canvas between, some of the dominant elements now have an op art or futurist feel, with a lot of internal movement - suggesting moving escalators, airline notice boards or collapsing decks of cards.
In this selection of eight finely masked, lolly-coloured canvases, made by characteristically incorporating a host of different linear marks and silhouettes stored for reuse on computer, Christchurch-based Andre Hemer now includes recent developments of Escher-like (but optically more complex) 3D illusory forms as a foil to a flat modernist picture plane.
His images are becoming more complex, but instead of the emphasis being on tinted shape, its computer-cut/masked contours, and the exposed canvas between, some of the dominant elements now have an op art or futurist feel, with a lot of internal movement, suggesting moving escalators, airline notice boards or collapsing decks of cards. There is a seething, shimmering quality with rows of tilted butted diamonds or fluttering rectangles taken from Riley or Vasarely and placed into planular forms.
So added to the usual interlocking organisation this artist creates of large contoured shape, negative space, sprayed lines and isolated ‘island’ fragments - all spatially woven together with advancing or receding chroma - is added a much more accentuated rendered form, one that is retinally less stable. This flickering ambiguity is intriguing - and although the flatulently digressive (Dale Franklike) titles can irritate, and some of leaking tape bleeds need to be touched up - the works have a lot of decorative presence: vaguely in the tradition of psychedelic poster artist Peter Max.
With the retro sixties ambience there is also a wit within Hemer’s interest in replicating looping ‘brushmarks’. These now get transmuted via an animated cartoon sensibility into licorice motorways or Scalextric car tracks. The taped off, sharp-edged shapes have extra pin-stripe contour lines and are becoming more mannered. Whilst I think I prefer the earlier work, these more complex paintings do hold your attention with the sheer inventive whimsy of their composition. A sort of David Reed meets Ubi Iwerks and Edwardo Paolozzi. Fun to spend time with.
John Hurrell
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