Starting Point by Jim Tarpey
exhibition statement
The work that has been produced here derives from a project I originally started work on in the 1970s although all the work produced for this exhibition was completed in 2018.
Applying the Bauhaus theatre concept whose plots consisted of nothing more than the pure movement of forms, colour, space and light, I have constructed a matrix using both paintings and reliefs. The series involves a matrix system of cubes or squares moving across a grid. Paintings and reliefs are set within a stage on which experimentation with coloured light and shadows creates movement across the grids.
My paintings lie on the boundary between reason and emotion, logic and intuition, order and expression. In art, such polarities are sometimes less distant from each other than is often assumed.
I have used the rules of number and mathematics to explore rhythm and sequence, accentuated by the fall of light and shadow on the pure white or neutral surfaces of my reliefs. These paintings and reliefs are not concerned with any form of representation, either of the physical world, or absolutes of geometry or number.
Many of you have visited the Tarpey Gallery over the past 8 years and may have been wondering what part I play in its existence.
My original intention was for the barn to be a studio. Working with Luke over the course of 2010, our plans evolved, and we decided to develop the space into a contemporary fine art gallery. I am delighted that the gallery has become so successful as a result of Luke’s vision and his effective management.
After 46 years in education I decided to spend time developing my own art work. The recently built garden studio has provided a space to create much of the work now on display. The opening of the exhibition will take place on 2nd June 2018 from 2pm - 5pm. You are invited to visit the gallery and join us for a drink and an opportunity to view the work.