Please join us for the official opening drinks of Lyndal Hargrave's first exhibition with Edwina Corlette Gallery 'New Geometricks' this Saturday 13 February, 2 - 4pm. The exhibition is current 2 - 27 February.
Carrie McCarthy writes of Lyndal's practice,
'Geometry. From the ancient Greek Geo, meaning earth, and Metron, meaning measurement. In mathematics, it is the branch that deals with points, lines, angles, surfaces and solids. By measuring how each facet of the universe relates to another, it taps to the undercurrent, the guidelines that underpin natural evolution, and the chaos that manages to exist within those parameters. Used in art, geometry creates constraints into which artists can channel their contemplations and emotional energies, creating what the grandfather of geometric abstraction, Kazimir Malevich, once called “the primacy of pure feeling in creative art.” Where modernism taught us that subject was no longer as important as form, geometric abstraction has taught us to consider form as the embodiment of the deepest structures of the universe, challenging our perceptions of surface and space. For Lyndal Hargrave, geometry is the foundation from which she makes sense of her environment.
To see the universe as Lyndal Hargrave does is to see the world in macro. An artist whose practice is informed by the twin concepts of fractal geometry and cellular biology, her work magnifies organic life to the point that recognizable forms are lost in a kaleidoscope of patterns and grids, fragmented and prismatic. Intrigued by the vast mysteries of the natural world, Hargrave’s explorations use key elements of complexity and repetition to consider theories of connectivity, evolution and interdependence. Balancing her scientific and mathematical sensibilities is an instinctive use of colour, arrangement and tone to illustrate the belief that we are all part of the world, not separate from it. Incorporating both painting and wall-based sculpture, each work is an organic and intuitive rendering of well-defined principles, created by an artist attuned to both the earth’s vibrations and her own personal cadences.
In New Geometricks, Hargrave expands on her previous ruminations on interconnectedness by immersing herself wholly in the creative process rather than focusing on strict geometric considerations. Technically confident, Hargrave has trusted past experience to guide this show, ultimately letting her subconscious decide which direction the work would take. The overall effect is ethereal and otherworldly, with compositional studies that drift between cloudy dreamscapes and emerald green underwater worlds. Gem-like prisms tumble upon each other in perpetual motion, floating forward and back, rising and falling with each undulation, giving the works a softness and tactility more akin to quilting or thread art than the hard edges of geometric abstraction. Devoid of representational forms and fixed-point perspectives, emotion is instead conveyed via the subtle nuances of colour, tone and shape, acting not unlike music’s ability to evoke feeling and sentiment. There is a sense of progression and impermanence across these works too, mirroring the moments of personal transition Hargrave herself experienced while in the studio. The result of this working style is a practice that serves as a filter between her outer and inner worlds, ambiguous to the audience, but a visual diary of lived experiences for Hargrave herself.
Ultimately though, Hargrave’s works aren’t intended for such didactic consideration. Rather, these shimmering compositions should inspire contemplation and introspection in the viewer, allowing an opportunity to consider the theories put forward, and to volunteer another interpretation entirely.
It is the constant push-pull of life – how we impact, and are impacted by, our surroundings that is key.'
To view Lyndal's available works, click here.