Sat 18 May 2019 to Sat 22 Jun 2019
Preview:RICHARD COOK
In Thy Wild Garb
"I do not know why the paintings emerge as they do or look like they do.
The impulse to paint and the way it occurs is largely involuntary and seems to be a form of elemental release.
That is release from the constraints of conscious thinking.
The form and appearance of my painting is conditioned by an interior knowledge and my need is to avoid distortion of this.
My conscious mind has to relinquish control thereby allowing the image to emerge unfettered and find life in these paintings."
This year Richard Cook's work was selected for the inaugural exhibition of the re-opening of Tate St Ives.
He has held solo shows at Tate St Ives, Galerie am Savignyplatz - Berlin and the Exchange in Penzance as well as commercial London galleries such as Felix and Spear, Odette Gilbert, Art First, Austin/Desmond - and exhibited in mixed shows at the Hayward and the Serepntine Galleries.
"Although my daily walks take me out into the landscape, topography is less important to me than the dynamic of the present moment. Unknown connections and internalised memory are what seem to power my motivation.
The drawings I make on the spot are rapid and calligraphic in quality.
These quick drawings serve as the impulse for the larger studio works."
