JAMES VELLA CLARK AND ALFRED CHRICOP
"Dead Palm Tree” was the theme of my latest exhibition featuring a collection of
15 recent works, mainly landscapes shown at Lily Agius Gallery in Sliema. The
exhibition was open to the public between the 3rd and the 24th November.
The exhibition was kindly supported by FFF Legal, Bank of Valletta, The Malta
Independent and Marques de Casa Concha wines.
An unusual recurrent use of green tones dominates the bigger part of this
collection. The composition in most paintings is still structured however, the
overall style remains somewhat abstracted and highly spontaneous. It is a style
that can be easily defined as ‘structured abstraction’ conveying the message
that whilst the artist wants to remain in control, there is a lot of ‘letting
go’. Surrendering to the flow whilst wanting to remain in control creates an
unusual balance.
Notwithstanding all this, my landscapes retain the predominant features that
have defined my work over the past years. The landscape is still dominated by
the archaic church cupolas, a constant reminder of our mediterranean submissive
nature to our belief that gives us a false sense of moral security, the colours,
still mediterranean, the surface still heavily textured and the perennial palm
tree, symbol of man’s spirit of perseverance amidst the different landscapes of
life.
My first palm tree sprouted somewhere in 2008, replacing the cypress tree
which had been present in many landscapes before. Since then, this detail in
many of my works has redefined itself as representational of individuals living
particular circumstances, within their own personal context. Dead Palm Tree is
not about death, it’s about acknowledging that whoever we are and whatever we
do, no matter how much we persevere and no matter how infallable we may think we
are, we all die. And as I look at this collection and see how my style is
evolving, this theme becomes also representative of the end of a phase and the
birth of a new one.
My small paintings are very intimate as they invite the viewer to move closer
to the work and become part of the experience that I want to share.
Lily Agius Gallery - Sliema
Lawrence, Georgina and Luke Pavia
THE EXHIBITS
Dead Palm Tree
A Good Place to Die
The Quarry
The Creek
Escapade
Approaching Storm
Blue Summer
Green Village Under Yellow Sky
Twilight
Distant Palm Tree
Cathedral
Rainy Day in Spring
Spring
Landscape in Storm
Village in Autumn
Imtahleb (l)
Imtanleb (ll)
View of Hilltop Village
James with Lily Agius and friends
W: http://www.jamesvellaclark.net
E: james.v.clark.9@facebook.com
M: +356 9942 1640
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