Johnny Abrahams
8 May - 30 May, 2021
Opening day Saturday, 8 May, 12pm - 6pm
Jack Hanley Gallery East Hampton is excited to present Red weakens an hour, a solo exhibition by London-based artist Johnny Abrahams. In a new series of abstract paintings, Abrahams continues to meld Minimalism with an Op-Art sensibility in a subtle, slow and meditative manner. In his new black and blue painitngs, Johnny Abrahams combines oil and acrylic with void spaces of raw linen and burlap in a dramatic way. The compositions are arranged in geometric blocks or ample curved shapes in monochhromes or two tones. Symmetric or asymmetric, sometimes reminiscent of a theater curtain, the balance of paint and void spaces has a sweeping effect on the composition of each work. Thickly applied with a palette knife and large brushes, the oil paint forms ridges that effects an interplay between light and composition, bridging the realms of painting and sculpture. The ridges accentuate the path of the elegantly curved shape and define each painting’s rhythm. The viewer can trace the act of the painting’s process of creation, like bowing the strings of a cello. This rhythmic, almost melodic quality draws the eye deeper into the large monochromes, lets it wander and slows it down. The paintings’ simple, elegant and full shapes settle the gaze in a meditative way, letting it move in its own pace and realm.
Johnny Abrahams
(b. 1979) lives and works in London, United Kingdom. He has shown in the U.S and internationally, and most recently has had solo exhibitions at Vigo Gallery (London), Choi and lager (Seoul and Cologne), Romer and Young (San Francisco) and Sundays (Copenhagen). He has been included in several group exhibitions including shows at The Hole (New York) and The Oakland Museum of California.