Collaborations, a joint exhibition between Lisson Gallery and STPI, explores the links between an artist’s practice through different media, and the role of collaborations in the development of an artist’s vocabulary.Richard Deacon, Ryan Gander, and Shirazeh Houshiary have already collaborated with the STPI, while the two others — Jason Martin and Jorinde Voigt — are expected to work at the printmaking atelier in the New Year.“The starting point of the exhibition was the collaboration some of these artists have already had with the STPI. Richard came in 2012 and Ryan in 2014, and Shirazeh is currently completing her residency. The other two have been invited,” says Sarah Wang, associate, director, Asia Pacific, Lisson Gallery, explaining that the STPI pieces were contextualize by work that the artists have made in their own studio.During his STPI residency, British sculptor Deacon was partly exploring the relationship between spaces and the void, foreground and background, and he used a Japanese printing technique to color his paper sculptures (inspired by Singapore’s HDB public housing) to give them a stunning marbled effect that was uncannily similar to the marbling he’d earlier achieved with ceramic sculptures — all on display now in one of the STPI’s four gallery spaces. An early work from 2003, Infinity in stainless steel, offers loser organic forms that are also echoed in some of the STPI prints.British conceptual artist Gander often makes visual references to art history in his works (Matisse's cut-outs, Richter's photo paintings), as well as graphic design elements complete with catchy artwork titles, and during his STPI residency he created a diverse body of work, including those now on show: a series of boldly colored prints with scratch marks inspired by close-up photographs of UK Police cars. These works are placed in the same central room as a tall sculptural installation of Ikea tables (in white, yellow, red, and blue), which are neatly pilled above one another to create a color pattern reminiscent of a Mondrian painting.Jorinde Voigt is based in Berlin and has yet to collaborate with STPI, but is represented by Lisson. The artist started as a photographer and then one day started to write down the descriptions of her photographs and the rationale for taking the pictures, which led to her first mind-map drawings, which in their earlier form were all black and white and in pencil but have since become more colorful. Voigt’s works, include hand-scribed marks and are inspired by literature and music, and are performative in nature, which will make her upcoming collaboration with STPI interesting.Iranian artist Houshiary presents several meditative abstract paintings, as well as a rare video work from 2007, an animated drawing that captures a breath. The artist is currently completing a residency at STPI and will have a solo exhibition there next March/Houshiary’s abstract works are facing those by Martin, a British artist who started his career with minimalism and expressionism, and is now best known for his monochromatic paintings, where layers of oil or acrylic gel are dragged across hard-surfaces such as aluminum, Plexiglass, or stainless steel using large brushes. Present at the opening of the exhibition, Martin explains that he created these painting with one large swooping, movement that gives a rhythmic textures to his works. On display is Rugen, 2011, that seems to trace the movement of his body. “The composition is one that is uninterrupted and a series of movements. Understanding that choreography is unlocking the painting,” he explains, adding he has not be using oil for years “because as an artist, it’s reached a point where I’ve exhausted where I want to be with it.”Most recently, he’s been working with acrylic paste, which he pours by the bucket on his studio floor, which he then works on with his hands and body before building layers of pure pigments on top and finally making a color choice. “Really it’s about creating a form on the surface,” Jason explains. This technique creates the illusion of fabrics, and his works, like Melville 2013 (on display), almost invite the viewer to touch them.“Intuitively, I am a painter, but my concerns are to move high modernist ideas of ‘Where can painting go after Jackson Pollock or Morris Louis?’” he says.Lisson Gallery & STPI present: Collaborations runs until October 17 at STPI
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