John Andrew: Gilded Histories
25 November, 2014 - 1 February, 2015
Boardroom
John Andrew, Where Will You Go (2014), Oil on canvas
John Andrew, You Won't Have Anywhere to Hide Either (2014), Oil on canvas
Gilded Histories is a new body of work by John Andrew exploring the figure, a subject that has been a significant part of his practice since the 1960s.
Inspired by half-remembered gods and goddesses from his dreams, Gilded Histories depicts the radiance of the human figure through a powerful concentration of golden yellow. It is Andrew’s philosophy that 'yellow is the only colour capable of capturing the heat and luminosity that emanates from human beings'.
From the 1960s I have concentrated on images of the figure and the idea of being human. Earlier work was surreal, with its treatment of the body in decay. However over my decades of painting I have gradually reassembled the subject by using the very origins of figurative painting. There is an antique directness now in the work.
Luminosity has always been a need when depicting the human body, but earth colours compound the problem. Compared to the light refraction of glass, the translucence of marble, and the reflection of polished metal, paint is dull and opaque. So this is my endless quest.
Why golden yellow?
The story of the universe is contained in the primaries: blue - the endless night of infinity, red - the primordial fire, earth and stone, yellow - life. It is my philosophy that yellow is the only colour capable of capturing the heat and luminosity that emanates from human beings.
-John Andrew, 2014