A new solo exhibition by British artist Guy Haddon-Grant opens 24 September 2015, showcasing his latest drawings and sculptural works that attempt to discover meaning and “create order from chaos”. Ends 15 November 2015.
Exploring ‘movement, force, and fragility’ through drawing and sculpture
British artist Guy Haddon-Grant invokes the “human compulsion to find meaning in the chaos” for his recent solo show at Karavil Contemporary in London. In “Dust and Shadows”, Haddon-Grant presents a series of abstract works, including several vaguely figurative works (reminiscent of Giacometti’s gangly creatures). The sculptures are joined by a host of charcoal drawings that attempt to “recreate sensations experienced when standing in front of the totemic”, with artistic references that vary widely, from carved wooden representations of the Native American spirit world to “ice age [Willendorf] Venus and Anish Kapoor sculptures”.
Haddon-Grant explores classic elements of form in his sculptures “playing with weight and balance,” and experimenting with scale “so it feels as if it were just about to lift off the base, about to shift on”. He describes his charcoal drawings as studies of “movement, force, fragility”, a synchronicity that is evident in the brisk yet tightly-controlled mark-making.
“The soot drawings have that quality”, he continues,”that rich density that draws in, [and] implies far greater depth or volume than the plane of the paper would normally allow.” Haddon-Grant uses the smokey-black expressions as a way to
make the light behave in unexpected ways, absorbed rather than reflected [so that] things appear to occupy a separate or distorted space.
Ending in mid-November 2015, “Dust and Shadows” is a rare opportunity to see exciting new contemporary work by a highly-skilled artist well-practiced in what might be considered as the more “traditional” methods and materials of art-making. Recommended!
About Guy Haddon-Grant
Guy Haddon-Grant attended the BA Fine Art course at Camberwell College of Art, London as well as undergoing two years of atelier study at Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy from 2007 to 2009.
Haddon-Grant is the 2013 Diana Brookes prize winner for his work exhibited in the Art for Youth showcase at Royal College of Art. He is also a frequent participant to Office Sessions projects founded/directed by Caitlin Mavroleon in London and continues to contribute work to the annual Art for Youth charity fundraising event, helping to raise thousands of pounds for UK Youth, an organisation that supports disadvantaged young people across the UK, helping these youths in areas such as personal well-being or practical life skills.
More links and information
- See more work by Guy Haddon-Grant on his website – includes photos, bio, and contact info
- Visit Karavil Contemporary in London
- View/download the Press Release for “Dust and Shadows” [PDF]
- Peek into Guy Haddon-Grant’s sketchbooks (something so many artists don’t share but which I find a fascinating treasure!)
Exhibition details: Guy Haddon-Grant’s “Dust and Shadows” is on at Karavil Contemporary, 91 Mortimer St., London, W1W 7SR. Free admission; viewing by appointment only.
Contact Karavil Contemporary for more information by email: info@karavilcontemporary.com or phone: +44 (0) 2075802926.
kelise soixante-douze 